The Adventures of Artemis and Apollo Warwick
by The Picaresque Raconteur
Summary: When Artemis and Apollo Warwick's parents are murdered by a werewolf, they are suddenly pulled into a prophecy where they play a key role: defeat Fenrir Greyback, or Earth will be ruled by werewolves. With the help of Remus Lupin, they must find a way.
1. The Department of Mysteries

_**The Adventures of Artemis and Apollo Warwick: The Werewolf Prophecy**_

**DISCLAIMER: **_I don't own Harry Potter, any of it's characters, creatures, spells, ect. I don't own JK Rowling. I don't own anything that has to do with the Harry Potter series. It's just a story. Please don't sue me._

**ALSO: **_This will be taking the place of my previous Harry Potter story, "Past's Truth."_

**ALSO:**_I wrote this story with the movie version of Lupin in mind. I LOOOOOOOVE him!! (And David Thewlis!) (I don't own him or his acting rights either.)_

Story _Awayy!!_

**The Department of Mysteries. . .**

"Where is it!" the large man demanded from the frightened guard. The large man had harsh-gray, grizzled hair, a big nose, yellow eyes, and scars running down his face. One stretched from his eyebrow to his chin. Another was a small one on his cheek. He was quite tall and strong. He held the guard by his neck, lifting him off the ground. "Where is the prophecy?!"

"I-I dunno!" the guard stammered. "I swear of it!"

"You _lie!_" the large man hissed, his yellow eyes narrowing.

"No!" the guard insisted. "I'm telling the truth! And even if I _did_ know, only the people of which the prophecy is about can remove them!"

The larger man growled, a deep, guttural sound from his throat. "Very well," he spat, throwing the man to the ground. "Then you are of no further use to me!"

His nails elongated, and before the guard could pull out his wand, the large man thrust them into the guard's stomach. Blood bubbled up in the guard's mouth. He slumped to the ground, dead.

The larger man removed his nails, and they shrunk back to normal size. He licked the blood off of them, shaking his head.

"Pity," he sighed. "It seems I cannot get any information anywhere."

He left the Department of Mysteries that night with anger boiling up inside of him. He would have to return to his pack empty handed. And Fenrir Greyback _never_ came home empty handed.

_I'll find it,_ he vowed. _I'll find it and kill them!_

The Prophecy:

_Two children,_

_One the son of the Sun,_

_One the daughter of the Moon,_

_Shall rise up against the Leader_

_of the pack. _

_Only they can stop him_

_From creating an army of darkness_

_From sacrificing the blood of an outcast_

_For the permission to be granted_

_And the Leader shall fall_

_And the children shall change_

_Only if the children perish_

_Will the Leader succeed._


	2. Murder

**Murder**

"Come _on,_ Mum!" the girl called to her mother. "Yer way too slow!" She had shoulder-length, midnight-black hair and silver-gray eyes. She wore deep violet robes. In her pocket was her wand--rowan wood with a single strand of unicorn hair inside. She ran ahead in front of her parents with her brother by her side.

"Mum ain't the _only_one that's slow!" the boy called as he darted back and forth. He had spiky fiery-blond hair and golden eyes. He wore scarlet-red robes. His wand was securely tucked away in his pocket. It was also rowan, with the tail feather of a phoenix stuck inside. "Dad is slower than a flobberworm!"

Their parents rolled their eyes. As their children ran on the concrete sidewalks, almost knocking each other over, they thought to themselves, "Sure, they're both fifteen, but they don't act like it!" They didn't know. Maybe it was because they were just having fun. After all, it _was_ their Christmas holiday from Hogwarts, and they had just come back from a day of Christmas shopping. They had decided to give their children two new brooms, which they held in long, white boxes under their arms.

"Apollo!" the father called. "Artemis! Wait up! You're going too fast!"

"So say _you!_" Artemis laughed.

Their mother had had it. It was late at night, and their children were being so loud they could awaken the sleeping muggles.

"_Apollo Sol Warwick!_" she shouted. "_Artemis Luna Warwick! Shut UP!_"

The children stopped in their tracks. A look of embarrassment crossed their faces. Their cheeks reddened, and they hung their heads, returning to their parents' sides.

"Sorry Mum," Apollo apologized.

"We were just havin' _fun_," Artemis murmured.

"Do you _want_to wake up all of the Muggles?" their mum scolded.

"No, Mum, sorry," the twins said in unison.

"Good children," a voice behind them sneered. "Then no one will hear you scream."

The family spun around to see a dark figure standing behind them with a wand pointing at them. They couldn't see any of his facial features, only his glowing yellow eyes and a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"What do you want?" the father demanded of the man, stepping in front of his family.

"Nothing much," the man replied. "Just the children."

The twins' Mum stepped forward, gritting her teeth. "Over our dead bodies!"

The man grinned evilly. "That can easily be arranged," he hissed. He pointed the wand at their parents and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

"_Noooooooooooo!_" Artemis screamed. She struggled to get to her parents, but Apollo held her back.

"Don't!" he hissed in her ear. "You'll get killed!"

Artemis stopped struggling, and the twins watched as their parents crumpled to the ground, their lifeless eyes gazing up at them in a frozen stare.

The man then pointed his wand at the children. "Now, please, come quietly," he pleaded, not a hint of kindness in his voice. "My master would like to rip you up personally. We shouldn't keep him waiting."

"No," Apollo replied boldly, although his voice quivered. He nodded to Artemis, and before the man could do anything, the two pulled out their wands and shouted, _"Expelliarumus!_"

The man's wand flew out of his hand about ten feet. He cursed loudly and turned to the twins. To twins' terror, he haunched on all fours, as if preparing to pounce them. He began growling, creeping closer to the twins. The twins were petrified, and stiffly stood in their spots. The man got closer. Artemis pointed her wand at him and yelled, "_Aguamenti!_"

A powerful stream of water spouted out of her wand and hit the man, sending him three feet back. He tried to stand up, but the water was too strong. He stayed down, making a noise that sounded like a mixture between a whimper, a growl, and a roar.

"Quickly!" Artemis shouted to her brother, not looking up from her wand and keeping the stream strong. "The brooms!"

Apollo, heart pounding, pointed his wands at the white boxes and yelled, "_Accio, broomsticks!_"

The white boxes shook, and two brooms shot out. Artemis ended the spell as the last jet of water shot out. The two grasped the handles, quickly mounted, and shot off into the air, leaving the murderer on the ground, roaring angrily.

"You shan't escape!" the man bellowed, waving an angry fist in the air. "We'll find you! And when you least expect it, we'll strike!"

"Well, I think now we're expecting it," Artemis muttered.

They flew off into the night sky, tears streaming down their faces. They were alone. They had no other family, and now they were orphans. Where would they go?

They flew for a long time, pondering where they would go next. The night was clear, the moon shining brightly in the sky. An icy breeze swept through them and chills ran up their spines. Below them was the British countryside. Only an hour ago, they were flying over London, dodging the skyscrapers and trying to keep out of sight.

"Where should we go?" Apollo asked his sister.

"I dunno," she replied. Silent tears were still falling from her silver eyes.

"How about Hogwarts?" Apollo suggested.

Artemis shook her head. "They'll be expecting us to go there," she said. "Or, whoever they are."

Apollo sighed. "But we could go to Dumbledore!" he insisted. "He'll tell us what to do!"

Artemis gave in. "Fine," she groaned. "To Hogwarts, then."


	3. Dumbledore

**Dumbledore**

Hogwarts was another long ride ahead. They didn't reach it until three that morning. It was still dark out, and the Forbidden Forest was alive with the creatures of the night. Even with the wind blowing past their ears, the twins could still hear the galloping of the centaur herd, the creeping of the acromantulas, and the howling of a distant werewolf.

Dead ahead was Hogwarts, silhouetted against the early morning sky. They could only make it out by the few windows giving off light. Dumbledore's office was at the highest tower. It would be fairly simple to spot it.

"How're we gonna get in?" Artemis asked, her eyes widening.

Suddenly, the twins turned to each other, their faces panic-stricken. How _would_ they get inside? One they reached the tower, they could hover outside the window, but they couldn't get in. Unless. . .

"We'll have to crash through the window!" Apollo shouted.

"_WHAT?!_" Artemis cried. "Are you _mad?_"

"No!" Apollo replied, navigating his broomstick towards Dumbledore's castle. "But there's no other way!"

Artemis hesitated. However, she knew there was no other way. "Let's do it!"

Pretty soon, they reached Dumbledore's tower. A single window provided the office with moonlight. Artemis and Apollo hovered outside the window.

"Ladies first," Apollo said. Artemis glared at him, took a deep breath, and backed up her broom far enough for her to gain some speed.

"Ready?" he called to her. She nodded.

"Go!"

She leaned forward as her broom shot towards the window. A breeze hit Apollo as she flew past. Then--

_CRASH!_

Artemis crashed through the window, covering her head. She flew into the office, but fell off her broom while trying to dodge the winding staircase. Her broom, on the other hand, spun out of control, flying into bookcases and knocking things down. Artemis pulled out her wand.

"_Accio, broomstick!_" she hissed. The broom returned to her outstretched hand. She stood up as Apollo entered the room.

"Where is he?" he asked as he dismounted his broom.

"I dunno," Artemis replied.

"What are you doing here?" a voice asked them. "I thought you went away on holiday."

The twins turned around to see Dumbledore, with his half-moon spectacles and a very pale, cobalt-blue robe. The twins were so relieved when they saw him, they ran to hug him, crying into his body.

"Dumbledore!" Artemis wept. "We need you!"

"What ever is the matter?" the great wizard asked the two weeping children.

Apollo looked up at him, face streaming with tears. "Oh, sir!" he cried. "It's our parents!"

"What's happened to them?" Dumbledore asked urgently.

"They're dead!" Artemis croaked. "Killed! Murdered!"

"What?" Dumbledore exclaimed. "By who?"

"We dunno!" Apollo said. "We didn't see his face!"

"Only his yellow eyes!" Artemis piped up, shivering.

"And his sharp teeth!" Apollo added.

"Oh, dear," Dumbledore murmered. "Why did you come back here?"

The twins finally pulled away from the professor and told him everything about that night. He listened intently, his facial expression showing he was making a mental note of everything he was saying. When they were done, he glanced over at the broken window.

"Well, I certaintly see why this was so urgent," he said. He took out his wand. "Though I don't think my window appreciated it." He waved his wand, and like that, the window was repaired. He turned back to the twins. "The person who killed your parents was a werewolf, most likely working for the evil werewolf, Fenrir Greyback."

"What?" Artemis asked, furrowing her brow. "That's bizarre. What would Fenrir Greyback have anything to do with us?"

Dumbledore walked over behind his desk and sat down. "There is a prophecy, a werewolf prophecy, if you will."

"A _werewolf_ prophecy?" Apollo asked. "But we're not werewolves!"

Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Of course not," he said softly. "But Fenrir is. It is said that the son of the Sun and the daughter of the Moon will come forth before the Leader of the pack can assemble a massive werewolf army to storm the earth and defeat him in battle."

"_What?_" Artemis asked. "That's crazy! I'm no daughter of the Moon!"

"And I'm no son of the Sun!" Apollo protested.

Dumbledore continued smiling. He looked at the twins with twinkling blue eyes. "Artemis," he asked the girl. "What is your name?"

"Artemis Luna," she replied flatly.

Dumbledore turned to Apollo. "And what is your name?"

"Apollo Sol."

"Precisely," Dumbledore said. "In Greek mythology, Artemis and Apollo were twins. Artemis was the goddess of the moon, and Apollo the god of the Sun."

"And?" Apollo scoffed.

"Are you not twins?" Dumbledore asked. "Are your names not Artemis and Apollo? Why else would a werewolf jump out of nowhere and cast the Killing curse over your parents?"

The twins thought for a moment, mulling over everything Dumbledore had said. It did make sense. Artemis knew for a fact she was named after the goddess of the moon, and Apollo after the god of the sun. This prophecy thing was making sense.

"But, how do we know if it's true?" Apollo asked.

Dumbledore winked. "Trust me," he said. "Harry Potter isn't the only one with a great destiny!"


	4. Hogwarts

**Hogwarts**

Dumbledore sent an owl to a man named Elphias Doge, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, asking him to look after the twins until further notice. Elphias lived in Sussex, a long broom-ride away from Hogwarts. Not wanting to risk another attack on the twins, he sent more owls to more members of the Order so they could escort the twins. In the meanwhile, he warned the twins not to tell anyone _anything_ about their parents, the prophecy, and where they were going next. While they waited for a response, Artemis and Apollo stayed at Hogwarts. It was morning time at Hogwarts, and twins descended down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Since it was Christmas holiday, they were not forced to sit at their house's table. (They belonged to Ravenclaw.) They decided to have a seat at the Gryffindor table, where most of their friends resided. They took a seat next to Ron Weasley. Ginny sat with her boyfriend five seats down. They were quite close to the Weasleys, and visited them almost every Christmas. They were going home for Christmas, but their father had some important work to do at home. They would stay at Hogwarts until Christmas eve, when their mother would bring them home via floo powder.

"Good morning, Weasley family," Artemis greeted Ron.

"Good morning, Warwick family," Ron smiled. He was a year older than the twins. "I thought you went on holiday with your parents."

At the mention of their parents, Artemis's eyes filled with tears. Apollo sucked in air, forcing himself not to cry. His face reddened. Ron frowned.

"Wha's wrong?" he asked.

His friends, book-smart Hermione Granger and the infamous Harry Potter, noticed the twins' reactions at the mention of their parents. Harry turned to them with concerned eyes.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked. Apollo smiled and Artemis looked up and nodded.

"We're fine," Apollo replied coolly.

Hermione eyed them suspiciously. "Are you _sure?_" she asked.

"Yes, yes, we're quite alright," Artemis said quickly.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other, shrugged, and went back to eating. Harry, however, gazed at the twins. Having lost his parents, he could spot anyone in mourning. And as he stared at the twins, he knew why they cried. Their parents were dead. And he was going to confront them about it.

"Apollo! Artemis!" Harry called after the twins as they left the Great Hall. "Wait up!"

The twins turned, looked at each other, and waited for Harry. They liked him. He was a nice kid. But they remembered Dumbledore's warning. A gut feeling was telling them Harry was going to ask about their parents.

"Hey, guys!" Harry said, catching up to the twins.

"Hello, Harry," Artemis said with and icy tone in her voice.

"Er. . .can I talk to you for a moment?" Harry asked, shifting uncomfortably. The twins looked at each other. Apollo nodded. Artemis grabbed Harry's hand, and the twins began leading him up away.

"Yes," Apollo whispered to him. "But in private."

They led him to Professor McGonagall's classroom, which was empty. McGonagall was in her office, grading papers. The three teens were finally away from prying ears. They sat down at some desks.

"What is it Harry?" Apollo asked.

Harry stared into the twins' eyes. There was an icy hostility to them. "Well, I-I just wanted to know how you were doing," he stammered.

"Liar," Artemis breathed, glaring darkly at Harry.

"What do you _really_ want?" Apollo leaned in, golden eyes not straying from Harry. Harry took a deep breath.

"I don't want to sound rude," Harry said meekly. "But. . .well, are your parents. . .dead?"

There was a silence that followed the question. Artemis and Apollo looked at each other. They looked back at Harry, then turned around. Harry could hear them whisper, but didn't know what they were saying.

"Can we trust him?" Apollo whispered to his sister.

"I dunno," she replied. "But Dumbledore trusts him, and Harry _is_ quite trustworthy." She sighed. "Fine. Let's tell him."

They turned back around. Apollo opened his mouth to speak, but Artemis beat him to it. "Yes, they are," she whispered sorrowfully, looking down. "They were murdered only two days ago."

"Murdered?" Harry gasped.

"_Shhh!_" Apollo hissed. "Someone will hear you!"

"What?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"Dumbledore told us not to tell anyone," Artemis explained. "But we trust you. _Pleeaase_ don't tell anyone!"

Harry understood. He respected Dumbledore, and the twins trusted him enough with this secret. He solemnly nodded.

"I promise not to tell anyone," he vowed. "I swear of it."

The twins smiled. "Thanks," Apollo said. "This really means a lot."

"No problem," Harry replied. The twins stood to leave. The waved good-bye to Harry, but before they could walk out the door, Artemis turned to him, silver eyes blazing.

"I warn you, though," she said, an edge in her voice. "If you tell anyone, it will be the end of you."

At first, Harry was taken aback. Artemis had just threatened him! She was the most peaceful person he knew! He was quite frightened. . .until she burst out laughing.

"_Really_, Harry!" she laughed. "You bought that? You should know better!" She stopped laughing, then looked at him with a straight face. "Seriously, though," she said. "_Please_ don't tell anyone."

"I _promise_," he assured her. "I shan't tell _anyone_."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said. Then, she turned heel and ran out the door.

The twins spent the rest of the day in the Ravenclaw Common Room, sitting by the fire and pondering the future. Who was Elphias Doge? Would he be nice? Would he be accepting? Would he _like_ teens? And who would watch them afterwards?

The sun began to set, it's dying light dimly shining through the windows. Apollo stood, stretched, and yawned. He glanced at the window. The night had finally come, bringing a sense of dread to the twins. Artemis walked over to the window and gazed at the moon. It was full tonight. She shivered. She didn't want to think of a full moon, _or_ what creatures it brought with it as it rose.

Moonlight filled the room. The few rays that hit her sent a wave of electricity through Artemis. She suddenly felt stronger. . .more _powerful._ Maybe it was a rush of adrenaline? Maybe it was the rays of the moon? She didn't know. She didn't want to think about it.

"Artemis?" Apollo called, interrupting his twin's thoughts. She turned around.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm gonna head to bed," he yawned.

"I think I might join you," Artemis said, her eyelids drooping.

"Alright," Apollo called, dragging himself up the stairs to the dorms. "Night."

"Good night," she called back. She walked upstairs and fell onto the nice, soft Ravenclaw bed. Golden memories of the past lulled her to a deep sleep.


	5. Flight Plan

** Flight Plan**

"Mister Warwick, sir?" a small voice called to him. Apollo felt a skinny hand shaking him. "Mister Warwick, sir? You's got to wake up now, sir. Mister Dumbledore wants ta see you, sir. Mister Warwick, sir?"

Apollo opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing his golden eyes. "Wha--?" he began. He felt a small body jump onto his bed. He opened his eyes to see a house elf. With it's bat-like ears, huge eyes, and thin figure, it looked like a thin stick with immense ears, eyes, and dressed in a filthy, gray rag.

"Who're you?" Apollo asked the creature.

"I'm Tinky," the elf replied, bowing. "Please sir. Get yer robes on. Mister Dumbledore wants ta see you, he does."

Apollo blankly nodded. "Right," he said. "Gimme a minute."

He got out of bed, went through his chest, pulled out his robes, and slipped them on. He grabbed his wand (which he placed on the nightstand next to his bed) and followed Tinky out to the Common Room. Artemis was already there, wrapped in her violet robes. She clutched her wand in one hand, and her broom in the other. Around her neck was a golden locket with a heart pendant. At her side was a female house elf who introduced herself as Binky.

"We need our brooms?" Apollo asked the quite exhausted Artemis. She nodded. "Oh, okay." He turned around, waved his wand and whispered, "_Accio_ _Apollo's broomstick!_" Almost immediately, his broomstick came whizzing downstairs, and he grabbed it with a steady hand. He turned to Tinky.

"Where to?" he asked firmly. Tinky looked up at him with soft, green eyes.

"Dumbledore's office, sir," he squeaked. "Quickly, sir. We must make haste!"

"Let's go, then!" Apollo said, turning to the door. But the elf stopped him.

"It's so very urgent, sir," Tinky said meekly. "So urgent, we must Apparate to Mister Dumbledore's office."

"_Apparate?_"

"Yes, sir," Tinky said. "We shall get there quicker if we apparate."

Apollo rolled his eyes. "Fine," he groaned. He didn't like the idea of Apparating. He'd heard stories of young, uneducated witches and wizards losing many a limb whilst they apparated. But if Dumbledore thought it was necessary, then so be it.

Tinky instructed all four of them to hold hands with each other, so to make a human chain. He would be on the end, ready to snap his fingers. He told the twins to keep all of their limbs and belongings close to their bodies.

"Ready?" he asked, looking over at his apparatees. They nodded. He grinned, which, in the house elf way, was a hideous distortion of the face that showed their dull teeth in a grotesque manner. "Hold on tight!"  
He snapped his fingers. . .

. . .Artemis blinked. . .

. . .and suddenly found herself and the others in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, surrounded by three wizards and two witches, deep in conversation. Dumbledore and company looked up. He smiled.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms. "Right on time!" He turned to a large, tough-looking wizard with a huge, electric-blue glass eye, a walking stick, long red-gray hair, a brown leather jacket, and a face that looked like chunks had been taken out of it.

"Alastor, these two are Apollo and Artemis Warwick," he told the wizard named Alastor. He turned to the house elves. "Thank you for your services. Have a good night!"

The elves bowed, there was a loud _CRACK!_, and they were gone. Apollo led his sister up the stone steps to greet Dumbledore and the people that surrounded him. He stuck out his hand to Alastor.

"Nice to meet you, Alastor," he greeted him nervously.

"Call me Mad-Eye," Mad-Eye grunted. He ignored Apollo's hand, who quickly returned it to his side.

"Now, now," one of the witches said to Mad-Eye. She had bright, bubble gum-pink hair that fell just below her earlobes. She looked quite young. "Don't scare the children. They've been through enough already."

Mad-Eye just grunted.

The witch groaned and turned to the twins. "Sorry 'bout him," she apologized, smiling sweetly at them. "I'm Tonks."

"H-h-hello, Tonks," Artemis managed. After that, it was like a chain reaction. Every other wizard had the urge to introduce themselves to them, following Tonks.

"I'm Dedalus Diggle," a very short man wearing a pinstriped, green suit squeaked.

"I," said the other witch, "am Emmeline Vance." She had curly brown hair with streaks of gray.

Emmeline Vance? But she had died months before! The twins realized this at the same time. Could this be a Death Eater? Or had Emmeline faked her death?

"The name is Kinglsey," said a tall, black wizard. "Kingley Shacklebolt."

"Er. . .hi," Apollo said. He turned to Dumbledore. "Are they the escort?"

He nodded. "They are the Order of the Phoenix," he replied. "They'll escort you to Elphias Doge's safely. And if anyone attacks, they'll protect you."

"Yes, we will," Diggle giggled.

"One question, though," Mad-Eye asked the twins. "How well are ya at attack spells?"

"Attack spells?" Artemis raised her eyebrow.

"Artemis is better at attack spells," Apollo told Mad-Eye. "I'm better at defensive spells."

"Good," Mad-Eye said. "Then we'll need both of ya to help out if when we're attacked."

"_If_," Tonks corrected the grizzled old wizard, seeing the horrified looks of the twins. "_If_ we're attacked."

Mad-Eye rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Quit bickering!" Emmeline scolded, her eyes flashing. "We have to leave right away!"

Dumbledore nodded. "Emmeline is quite right," he said. "You have little time to deliver the twins. You must get moving." He stood up, coolly sauntered over to the twins, and placed his hands on both of their shoulders. "You'll be safe at Doge's. We'll be keeping an eye on you there. But to be cautious, don't leave the house, don't talk to strangers, and _don't_send your owls. We're trying to keep your whereabouts top-secret. Got it?" The twins nodded (Artemis opened her mouth to tell him their owls had vanished after their parents died, but didn't say anything). Dumbledore smiled. "Don't worry," he reassured them. "You'll be fine. I promise." He turned to the Order.

"Contact me when they've been safely delivered," he ordered them. "Good luck."

Mad-Eye nodded. He turned to his team. "Ready?" he asked his team. They all nodded. He pounded his walking stick on the ground, and with a soft _pop!_, it turned into a broom. The other Order raised their wands and shouted in a chorus, "_Accio, broomstick!_" Suddenly, four brooms appeared in front of the Order. They grasped the handles and mounted. They formed an upside-down V shaped formation, telling the twins to get in the middle. Tonks, who stood mounted next to Mad-Eye, who was at the helm of the team, waved her wand at the stone walls and said, "_Deletrius!_"

The wall started to disintegrate, forming a giant hole through which the Order and the twins could fly through. Tonks looked at the twins from over her shoulder. "Ready?" she asked them. They nodded, eyes wide with fear and excitement. She grinned devilishly, then turned around and told Mad-Eye they were ready.

"Order," he bellowed. _"Fly!"_

At once, the Order and the twins kicked their feet off the ground and one-by-one, zipped through the hole.


	6. The Attack

**The Attack**

It was a clear night for flying. The moon was clearly seen, hanging swollen in the navy-blue sky. The Order had adapted the V formation they had birthed in Dumbledore's office; Apollo and Artemis flew in the center. Even on their Cleansweeps, they flew with great speed. They _had_ to in order to keep up. Emmeline had made it perfectly clear that they couldn't waste any time. The twins _must_ be delivered by the end of the night.

The moon's rays softly hit Artemis like celestial arrows. She had the strange feeling again. She could feel herself becoming more powerful by the moment. The magic was pulsing through her veins, burning her, as if screaming to her "Let me out! Let me out now!" She shuddered, her face growing pale. This was the second time it happened. She wondered if it had anything to do with her being the "daughter of the Moon." She decided to ask Apollo if he was feeling anything. He frowned.

"Nope," he replied. "Should I be?"

"I dunno," she shrugged.

"Feeling what?" Tonks asked from ahead of them, not turning around.

"I dunno," Artemis repeated. "I just feel, more. . ._powerful._"

"Huh," the young witch said, puzzled. "Maybe that thing about you being the daughter of the Moon _is_ true."

"Dumbledore told you?" Artemis asked.

She could see Tonks' head nod from behind. "Of course," she replied. "He had to fill us in. According to him, when the moon rises, you should be experiencing a sudden rush of power. You'll be stronger at night." She coughed. "Now, Apollo is a completely different story. Being the son of the Sun, he should be stronger during the day."

Artemis turned to Apollo and mouthed, "Do you believe this?"

He shrugged. "It makes sense to me," he said.

The Order had to fly over a forest in order to get to Doge's abode. Apparently, Sussex was another two hours. They had already been flying for three hours. The twins had been staring at the scenery. Apollo looked at Emmeline Vance from the corner of his eye. She wasn't transparent, so she wasn't a ghost.

"Emmeline?"

Concentrating on her flying, she replied (not looking up), "Yes?"

"Aren't you dead?" he blurted.

She half-turned to him and burst out laughing. "Dead?" she chortled. "Really? People think I'm _dead?_"

"Of course," Kingsley called from afar. "That whole fiasco caused quite a stir."

Emmeline laughed even harder, tears falling from her eyes. When she collected herself, she said to Apollo, "Dear boy! That wasn't me! That was a Death Eater _disguised_as me!" Before Apollo could ask, she replied, "The Death Eater used a polyjuice potion to disguise himself as me, then went to go infiltrate the Order's headquarters. He was obviously discovered and killed, but in my form." She laughed again. "Stupid git. I guess people bought that I was really dead, though."

Apollo opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, there was a flash of green light and Emmeline dropped from her broom, this time actually dead. Artemis screamed. Mad-Eye turned, cursed, and yelled to the Order, "DEATH EATERS!"

The twins turned to see five figures cloaked in black wearing silver masks of distorted faces. They were gaining on them.

What're we going to do?" Artemis screamed, terrified.

Mad-Eye hesitated. "Kinglsey, Diggle, and Artemis. . .hold 'em off!" he ordered. "Apollo, use yer defensive spells!"

"But--" Artemis began.

_**"JUST DO IT!**_"

Artemis nodded, gulped, and turned to face the Death Eaters. Kingsley, Apollo and Diggle did the same. The Death Eaters seemed to enjoy their combatants, and began letting loose any spell, hex, charm, or jinx they had in their infirmary.

"_Aguamenti!_"

"_Conjunctivitis!_"

"_Crucio!_"

"_Incarcerous!_"

"_Rictusempra!_"

The five spells cast by the Death Eaters were easily blocked by a Shield Charm cast by Apollo. They almost broke through, but he held on, pumping his magic into it. As soon as it broke, the last stream of the Death Eaters' spells had disappeared, and the few seconds in between were the perfect chances for the Order to attack. Using mental magic, Artemis narrowed her eyes at one of the Death Eaters and screamed (mentally, of course), _Muffliato!_

Her chosen Death Eater clasped his ears, hitting them as if to make them hear again. He still grasped his wand, but couldn't hear! Artemis grinned, then mentally cast, _Stupefy!_

A red bolt of light zoomed from the tip of her wand and hit the Death Eater in the chest. He fell from his broom.

Artemis was amazed. She didn't even _know_ she could perform mental magic, let alone cast the spell _Muffliato._ But the magic was obviously there, so she wasn't complaining.

A Death Eater pointed his wand at Kingsley and shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Artemis was quicker with a Shield Charm. "_Protego!_" she roared, pointing her wand at Kingsley. She didn't know if it would work, since this spell only protected from harmful charms. However, the moon was feeding her more power, and she could feel herself growing stronger. The Shield Charm worked and repelled the Unforgivable Curse. The Death Eaters, as well as the Order, were shocked. That was impossible. Artemis used this time as an advantage for attack.

"_Sectumsempra!_" she screamed, directing her wand to another Death Eater. The Death Eater began screaming as his black robes began to tear, as did the flesh underneath. Terrible cuts began to appear all over his body.

"_Expelliarumus!_" Diggle shouted at the tortured Death Eater. His wand leapt from his hand and fell to the ground. He was in too much pain to care.

"_Stupefy!_" Kingsley shouted at the cut Death Eater. The Dark servant fell limply into the forest below.

"Two down, three to go!" Artemis yelled to the Order, feeling herself becoming braver. She pointed her wand at another Death Eater and screamed "_Langlock_!"

The Death Eater opened his mouth, but couldn't speak. His tongue had been magically stuck to the top of his mouth, preventing him from verbally casting spells.

"_Immobulus!_" she commanded, pointing her wand at his broom. The Death Eater's broom suddenly stopped, the jerk causing him to fall.

"Nice!" Apollo supported his sister.

That's when she made a mistake--she lowered her wand and turned to her brother. Before she could thank him, she heard the remaining Death Eaters bellow, "_Pertrificus Totalus!_"

The twins screamed as a stream of white light emerged from the tips of the Death Eaters' wands and struck them. They felt a freezing sensation over them. Their limbs froze, their breath stopped. . .all in all--

--_they could no longer move._

With the wind flapping up against them at the tremendous speed they were going, they fell from their brooms, head-first, before the Order could react, into the darkness below. The Order could do nothing. They had to defeat the last two Death Eaters. And even if they did, there was nothing they could do now. No one could survive that fall.


	7. The Shack

**The Shack**

The twins fell to the forest in the positions that had used when _Petrificus Totalus_ was cast. They were both still grasping their wands. The attack had left them shocked; they couldn't think straight. They couldn't scream either. Apollo, who was looking up at the sky at the time of the attack, saw where they were falling. There was a small pond, frozen over, nestled in the trees. His heart beat faster. Surely, they would sink! He tried to warn Artemis.

"Ugghh," he grunted. "_Ugghh!_"

"Ugh," Artemis replied. Obviously, this was getting nowhere.

The pond got closer, and soon devoured them with a great _CRASH!. Thank God the ice isn't thick,_ Apollo thought to himself.

They sank to the bottom of the freezing pond like stones. Artemis tried to use mental magic.

_The Drought Charm!_ she thought to herself. She had to make this quick; she and her brother were drowning. She mentally commanded her wand to perform the Drought Charm. Her heart sank. It didn't work. Then she realized something--the moon was not hitting the pool! This would explain her sudden weakness. She didn't give up. They would both die if she didn't do something soon. She tried again.

Apollo started to turn blue.

She tried again.

Her lungs felt like they would burst.

She tried again.

They were done for.

She tried again. . .

. . .and it worked!

The water from the pond began to drain from the pond. Air returned to their lungs as their heads broke the surface. Apollo was soon his regular pink color. Finally, the pond was drained of it's water. Now it was just a cold, damp hole where the two sat like petrified wood. That was another thing Artemis had to work on. More mental magic would do the trick. And a certain spell would work wonders on them.

_Finite Incantatem_, she said.

Nothing.

_Finite Incantatem._

They were still petrified.

_FINITE INCANTATEM!_

Suddenly, a bright light streamed from her wand and hit both of them. A warm sensation spread over them, as if they had just drank some fresh, steaming butterbeer. Artemis could feel her limbs jerk to life. She could move again!

"--Aaaaah!!" she screamed, apparently the last part of her scream before they became petrified. Apollo stood up and dusted off his robes. Artemis did the same.

"Well, that was interesting," he said excitedly. "We beat off a couple of top-notch Death Eaters!"

Artemis nodded. "Yeah," she said, her eyes straying to the moon, which was partially covered by the trees. "We did." She suddenly remembered the Order. "Do you think we should tell them we're okay?"

Apollo shook his head. "By telling them we're telling the Death Eaters," he said. "Besides, they're long gone by now."

"They don't think we survived!" she protested, throwing up her hands. "We have to find them!"

"No," Apollo replied calmly. "We'll have to find some help first."

Artemis groaned. She quickly filled the pond back up ("_Aguamenti!_") as they climbed out of the hole. She didn't want to go find help, but reluctantly followed her brother through the thick, dark forest.

"_Lumos,_" he whispered as a bright light developed from the tip of his wand. He half-turned to Artemis. "Keep your wand at the ready," he ordered her. She nodded, raising her wand high.

The forest was dark; the rays of the moon could barely get past the trees. A few mice scurried past their feet. The light from Apollo's wand was creating shadows that seemed to be creeping up on them. An icy wind blew, chilling the twins to the bone. Once or twice, they could've sworn they heard a werewolf, but they weren't sure.

_Werewolves._

The very word sent shivers down their spines. A werewolf killed their parents. A werewolf wanted them _dead_. A werewolf could be following them _right now._ Artemis spun around. "_Stupefy!_" she shouted, the red bolt of light directed at an unseen assailant. Apollo jumped, then cursed.

"_What the bloody hell was that for?_" he hissed, golden eyes flashing. "D'you wanna tell the Death Eaters and the werewolves we're here?"

Artemis hung her head. "No."

"Then _quit it!_"

"Okay. Sorry."

They continued trekking through the forest. Fear maimed Artemis. When the moon was helping her, she felt braver. Invincible, if you will. But now she felt weak, scared, and most of all, vulnerable. She looked at her brother. His face was stern and serious. He was brave.

The walk through the forest was not filled with werewolves and Death Eaters. It was actually quite _boring._Once or twice they saw a bowtruckle, but it deemed them harmless and moved on. Nothing jumped out to scare them. Nothing jumped out to eat them. It was just a boring night, strolling upon the twisting paths.

"Look!" Apollo shouted, pointing his free hand to a clearing with what appeared to be a small, worn-down shack standing in the center. Artemis smiled broadly. Apollo whooped. "C'mon!" he shouted, grabbing his sister's hand as they raced towards the shack. Rays of moonlight began streaming through the skeleton-like trees. And Artemis felt it.

"Wait!" she shouted, stopping her brother. "Let's have a bit of fun!" She grinned when she saw his confused face. She waved her wand, pointed it at she and her brother, and whispered, "_Hover._"

They were lifted from the ground by an invisible force. Artemis pointed her wand at the shack, and soon, the twins were flying towards it. The cold wind whipped at their faces. But they didn't care. They were flying towards help. They didn't care who lived in it. _Someone_ had to be there.

But what if it was an enemy? A dark wizard? Or worse, a _werewolf?_ Artemis gulped.

"Apollo?"

"Hm?"

"What if there's a dark wizard living in there?" she asked.

"Then we're not siblings!"

Artemis was baffled. "What?"

"Your name shall be Pia Denzy. Mine shall be Zapharias Niccles. We shall be from Slytherin."

"Are you sure--?"

"Trust me," he assured her, eyes twinkling. She feebly nodded, a sense of doom sweeping over her.

They arrived at the shack with a sudden stop. It was small, and looked even shabbier close up. The aluminum roof was patched up with rotting wood. All the windows were either broken or cracked. The door was a large, decaying piece of tree bark hinged in the doorway with no door nob. A crumbling stone chimney stood at the side of the house. The twins peered inside. It was a wreck. A half-melted candle stood on a wooden table. Four wicker chairs sat on each side of the table. There was a huge, magnificent bookcase filled with thick books. A fluffy but ripped chair sat next to the bookcase with an oil lamp hanging above it. There was an old cupboard in one corner. A cauldron stood next to the fireplace, a small cupboard placed next to it. It's front was glass, and the twins could see they were filled with potion ingredients. The fireplace was spewing ashes. A shelf above it held more books, a few magical objects, and pictures. The pictures were of people whom the two had never seen before. One was of two young people--a couple--dancing in the snow, looking quite merry. The other was of a stern-looking, older man with a red-gray walrus-like mustache. He seemed to stare straight, then he suddenly left the frame and returned with a pint of firewhiskey. The next was of four teenage boys, arms all over each other's shoulders. One was jumping up and down, whooping insanely. Another watched him, laughing hysterically. A smaller, quite robust boy watched the jumping boy longingly with admiration clouding his eyes. The last boy, who seemed the most mature of them all, watched the jumping boy with a slight smile. He looked tired and worn. The final picture was of a young boy. He looked very solemn. He stood in a field with a crup standing loyally at his side. The wind was blowing, and storm clouds gathered above. Suddenly, rain poured down from the heavens and lightning struck. The crup yelped in surprise and ran away. A worried mother screamed, "Remus!" then appeared from nowhere and scooped him up just as lightning struck the spot where he just was.  
A door hanging off a broken hinge led to a small room that the twins could not see clearly. All they saw was the end posts of a bed, half of an armoire, and half a cracked window. The twins noticed there was no bathroom inside, but the smell from outside suggested there was an outhouse somewhere around back.

"Looks like there's no one home," Artemis said hastily, unable to conceal the fear in her voice. "Maybe we should go."

"Nah," Apollo smirked. "Let's go in."

"But--?"

"For all we know, it could be abandoned."

Artemis hated it when her brother was like that. He made the decisions without anyone else's advice.

"I hate it when you do this."

He ignored her, approached the door, and pressed his palms on it. It opened with a loud _creak_. They entered cautiously. The shack smelled strongly of mothballs and wet dog.

"Hello?" Apollo called loudly. No one replied. "Hello?"

Still, no one answered. Apollo shrugged. He immediately went and stretched himself out on the fluffy-yet-torn chair, sighing with content. Artemis hesitated, then pulled up a wicker chair and sat. Apollo grinned broadly.

"See?" he told her. "We're okay." He pointed his wand at the fireplace spewing ashes and said, "_Tergeo._" The ashes suddenly disappeared. There was a pile of logs set up next to the fireplace. Apollo pointed his wand to them next and said, "_Wingardium Leviosa._" The logs floated up into the air and the happy wizard directed them to the empty fireplace. With a flick of his wand, they fell into place. Apollo then completed his actions by saying, "_Incendio_" at the fireplace, sparking a rather large fire that filled the shack with not only light, but warmth. Apollo set his head back and closed his eyes, smiling.

Artemis stared at the fire, the dancing flames reflecting light off of her face. She suddenly remembered something--tonight was Christmas eve. She nearly jumped when she remembered.

"Apollo!" she said. He jerked awake.

"What?"

"Tonight's Christmas eve!"

Apollo's eyes widened, and he slapped his forehead. "Blimey! I forgot!" He turned to his twin. "I left my present for you at home!"

"I did too!"

Apollo groaned and sank back into the chair. "Well, this is brilliant," he grumbled. "No presents on Christmas?"

Artemis glowered at her twin. "The best present we can have is being alive right now!" she spat, her gaze darkening. "Live with it!"

And that was that. They sat there, in the shack, for the rest of the night.


	8. Lupin

**Lupin**

Christmas Day came and went. It wasn't very fun for the twins, who spent the holiday taking turns standing guard. They tried to imagine what they would be doing had their parents survived. They would be sitting at their table, candlelight flooding the house, with a large Christmas turkey plopped onto the table. Afterwards, they would gorge themselves on Mum's famous trifle, open presents, and spend the rest of the night laughing. How they longed for that magical evening. Artemis sighed. She wondered how the others were spending their Christmases. Night fell, and the two wasted no time falling asleep, cursed memories of Christmas pasts haunting their dreams.

"Who are you?" a voice demanded the two. "And what are you doing in my home?"

Artemis' eyes fluttered half-open. She looked up to see a man pointing his wand at them. He had short, yet shaggy, brown-gray hair. His mustache was also brown. He had long three scars running across his face. He was dressed in shabby robes. She could tell he was quite young, although he looked tired and old.

Still looking up at him, Artemis shook her brother awake, who had been sleeping next to her and snoring quite loudly.

"Huh? Wha'?" he asked groggily. "Wha's 'appening?" He looked up and saw the man and smiled. "Oh 'ello there! Arty didn't tell me we 'ad guests--"

"I repeat," the man demanded even more firmly, interrupting Apollo's drunken slur. "Who are you and what are you doing in my home?"

Suddenly, Artemis' eyes opened all the way and she recognized who was pointing his wand at them.

"P-Professor L-Lupin?" she stuttered. "Is that you?"

At once, the man's face softened. He lowered his wand. "Artemis Warwick?" he asked, dumbfounded. He turned to Apollo. "And Apollo Warwick?"

"Thash me!" Apollo squealed proudly, smiling stupidly. He was usually like this in the mornings.

Lupin immediately summoned three plates of food from his cabinet, which he had bewitched to always serve the food it held ready. He hurried the children to the wicker chairs where the food was placed. The twins were relieved it was Lupin. He was their favorite teacher when he taught at Hogwarts. They were devastated when he resigned, but they never knew why he did so.

"My dear children!" he exclaimed. "What's wrong? Why are you here?"

They told him everything. He listened carefully, the concentration in his eyes proving it. He nodded slightly when Apollo told him what Dumbledore said, and his eyes widened when Artemis filled him in on their airborne battle with the Death Eaters. They didn't say anything about Fenrir Greyback. When they finished, he took a sip of coffee, and then began to address the twins.

"I was afraid this would happen," he said grimly. "I had always known in the back of my mind that you two were the ones in the prophecy. And this story proves it."

"Dumbledore says it was a werewolf commissioned by Fenrir Greyback who killed our parents," Apollo blurted to Lupin.

Lupin nearly gagged on his coffee. "_Greyback?_" he choked, his face livid. "_Greyback_ is involved?" He suddenly picked them up by the scruffs of their robes and began hauling them towards the door.

"Hey! What the--?" Artemis cried.

"I'm sorry, but if you stay here, you'll be in peril," he said hastily.

"But why--?"

"No time to explain!" Lupin shouted, suddenly angry. "Get out!"

With great strength, he tossed the children outside and shut the "door." The twins stood up, groaning.

"Remind me again _why_ he was our favorite teacher?" Apollo grimaced.

"I dunno _what_ the hell that was all about," Artemis said, confused by Lupin's behavior. He usually had such a kind demeanor to him. What had just happened?

"I'm going to find out," she said. She stomped up to the "door" and pounded on it. "Lupin!" she bellowed. "Lupin! Let us in! We need you!"

"No!" came his reply from inside. "You'll put yourself in grave danger!"

"As if we aren't in enough danger already," Apollo mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Please!" Artemis cried, her voice pitiful. "We can't get through this alone! We--_really_--_need_--you!"

There was no reply. The witch pressed her ear to the "door." She heard a sigh and the shuffling of feet. The pulled her ear away as the "door" was opened to reveal a very sad-looking Lupin. He stared at them with melancholic eyes.

"You really don't understand," he said softly. "I--" he paused, averting the twins' concerned and confused gazes. "You'll need to sit down. Come back in."

The twins returned to the shack and sat down on the wicker chairs. Apollo was glaring at Lupin. Artemis had her arms crossed. Their former teacher closed the "door" behind them, looking around at the woods as if to make sure no one was watching, and dragged himself over to an empty wicker chair. Sunlight streamed into the room. Lupin sighed.

"I can't really explain what's going on," he muttered. "Dumbledore made me promise to keep it a secret. But, as it seems Greyback has developed a liking to you, I suppose it'll be alright."

"What is it?" Apollo asked, intrigued.

Lupin took a deep breath. "Well," he began, "Dumbledore has commissioned me to spy on Greyback. I'm to go undercover to discover what the werewolves are up to and _why_they have decided to follow Voldemort."

At the mention of Voldemort, the twins twitched.

"But why you?" Artemis asked. "You're not werewolf."

Lupin didn't reply. He only looked down. His silence could mean only one thing.

"You're a _werewolf?!_" Artemis breathed, gaping at the man.

Lupin stared at her, sad eyes piercing her. "It was the reason I left," he admitted. "Snape told everyone what I was and I had to go. No one wanted a. . .well, someone like _me_ teaching their children." He gave a sad little smile. "I managed, though."

Apollo suddenly lept up, face red with rage. "_YER A __**WEREWOLF?**_" he roared, veins pulsing out of his forehead and neck. "_A WEREWOLF KILLED OUR PARENTS! A WEREWOLF IS OUT TO KILL US! AND __**YOU'RE**__ ONE OF THEM?!_"

He whipped out his wand and pointed it directly at Lupin's heart. "I should kill you right _now,_" he spat. Lupin didn't even flinch, albeit the look in Apollo's eyes showed he meant it. The werewolf just sat there, staring into oblivion.

"_APOLLO!!_" Artemis shrieked, pulling out her wand and pointing it at her brother. "_DROP YOUR WAND!_"

"But _Artemis!_" he hissed. "He's one of _them!_"

"So _what?_" she yelled. "He's a good guy! Don't make a huge mistake!"

"_I'm going to do it!_" he screamed. He turned to Lupin, who was still not moving. "_Avad--_"

"_EXPELLIARUMUS!_" Artemis bellowed. Apollo's wand shot out of his hand before he could finish the spell. He looked up at her, tears streaming down his estranged face.

"_Why?_" he sobbed.

Sadness turned to rage. He lunged at Artemis. Shocked, though agile, she ducked and before she could attack, Lupin took out his wand with great celerity and roared, "_Incarcerous!_"

Thin snake-like ropes erupted from the tip of his wand to Apollo and began to bind him. Artemis turned to him, eyes blazing.

"What are you doing?" she shouted.

"This is for his--and our--own good," he replied calmly.

The ropes bounded Apollo's feet, arms, hands, and mouth. He teetered for a second, then toppled to the floor, writhing. His muffled voice shouted curses at the werewolf. Lupin put away his wand and sat back down, taking a sip of coffee. Artemis stared at her brother. She bent down and reached out a hand for him. "Don't, Artemis. We'll let him calm down for a minute," said Lupin. "In the meantime, please sit down. I'll take it you have some questions to ask."

As it happened, Artemis _did_ have a couple of questions to ask the benign werewolf. Turning back to her brother one last time, she stood up and joined Lupin at the table.

"So, Lupin," Artemis began, "the Order of the Phoenix. What's that all about?"

Lupin took a heavy breath. "The Order of the Phoenix was formed years ago by Dumbledore when Voldemort"--Artemis found she didn't twitch this time-- "was at full power. They fight the Dark Lord and his supporters." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture of a group of people. He flattened it out on the table as Artemis scanned it. She recognized Lupin in the picture, grinning, although somewhat solemn.

"You're in the Order?" she asked, peering back up at him.

He nodded. "Yes, I am," he said proudly. He pointed to a smiling couple, who kept looking at each other. The woman had very short hair. The man had large eyes and big ears. "These are Neville Longbottom's parents. Poor souls, tortured to insanity by Bellatrix Lestrange," he told the girl. His finger moved to a very familiar face. "Dumbledore, of course." He traced his finger to another couple. The woman had long, blond hair and bright blue eyes. The man had glasses and scraggly black hair. He looked like someone Artemis knew. . .

"Are those. . .Harry's_ parents_?"

Lupin nodded. "That they are," he replied, a hint of sorrow in his voice. "James was one of my best friends when I was a boy." He sighed. "But that was long ago."

Artemis continued gazing at the photograph. Suddenly, her heart stopped. With his arm around James Potter was a man she'd never thought she'd see in a picture with such _honorable_ people.

It was Sirius Black.  
His mad eyes were oddly sane, if not mischievous. He was also grinning. He looked strangely _normal_ for a mass murderer.

"_Sirius Black?_" Artemis exclaimed. "_He _was in the Order of the Phoenix?"

Lupin bobbed his head.

"But," the girl continued. "Wasn't he a _murderer?_"

Suddenly, Lupin's face grew red. "He was no such thing!" he shouted. Taken aback by his sudden outburst, Artemis felt her face grow hot. She sank into her chair.

Embarrassed, Lupin took a deep breath and smiled kindly at the girl. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "But what you know is a lie spread by the Ministry. Sirius Black was framed by Peter Pettigrew. We called him Wormtail as a boy. But he never got his name cleared." He sighed. "His house is being used as Order headquarters. When he died, I couldn't stand being there. All of my boyhood friends were dead or traitors (that would be Wormtail), and the House of Black filled me up with so memories. That's why I live here. It's not much, but it's home."

Artemis sat back up. "I have another one for you," she said. "Er. . .I don't wanna sound rude, but. . .er. . .who bit you?"

She could tell Lupin was a bit uncomfortable talking about this subject. He looked down, then hesitated. "It was Fenrir Greyback."

Artemis gasped.

Lupin continued. "I was just a young boy. My father"--he motioned the picture of the ruddy man with the walrus mustache--"had offended him in some way, so he took revenge by biting me."

Artemis felt a pang of pity for the man. He had been through such a terrible ordeal and had such a sorrowful life. She felt a sudden urge to go over and hug the poor man. She resisted, but decided to take his hand to comfort him.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured.

He smiled sadly. "It's alright. I've gotten by, haven't I?"

She grinned, nodding.

He turned to Apollo, who was no longer writhing on the floor. He was breathing heavily, albeit calmly. "Alright now?" Lupin asked the spiky-haired boy. He nodded. Artemis leaned over.

"Please don't attack Lupin," she pleaded. He nodded again.

Lupin flicked his wand and the ropes vanished. Apollo stood up, rubbing his wrists and neck. He turned to Lupin. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I don't know _what_ came over me."

"I'll tell you," said Lupin . "The sun was hitting you. You had a sudden burst of power."

Apollo's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked. "I was angry because of the _sun_?"

Lupin shrugged. "I believe you were really angry that I am a werewolf, but the rays of the sun gave you a fiery attitude."

Apollo didn't know how to react. Should he be happy that he had finally experienced the rush of power his sister had? Or should he be frightened that it made him an angry, fiery-tempered person that was likely to kill at the slightest piece of information? He would think about it later.

"So," he said brightly, trying to change the subject. "What should we do now?"

Lupin stood up and gazed out the window. Suddenly, he walked back abruptly. "You two, get in the corner, quickly!"

The twins obeyed. "What's going on?"

"We have a visitor," Lupin replied gravely. "Stay still and _don't talk!_" He raised his wand, pointed it at the twins and whispered, "_Evanesco!_"

The twins felt a tingling sensation and saw their bodies disappear. They stifled a yelp, but kept quiet.

Someone knocked on the door.


	9. The Unwelcome Visitor

**The Unwelcome Visitor**

The knock sent a tremor of fear through the Warwicks' hearts. They remembered what Lupin had said about going undercover and infiltrating the werewolf pack of Fenrir Greyback. They also realized Lupin lived in the middle of nowhere. They trembled. Who could it be? Was it a _werewolf?_

Lupin quickly and quietly cast another spell. It seemed like an illusion charm, for bloodstains began to appear on the floor, as well as a few human teeth scattered about. A rotting hand was nailed above his fireplace. The potion cabinet and cauldron disappeared, as did the pictures of Lupin's past. An overpowering stench befell the twins, who silently gagged and tried not to vomit.

The visitor knocked again. "Coming!" he shouted. Tucking his wand away, he opened the door.

"Nephthus McGorgo," Lupin icily greeted the stranger. "Come in."

The man walked in. He was most unpleasant. He was middle-aged, with greasy black hair and filthy fingernails. He wore black robes, torn and ragged. The sleeves were up, and the twins could see a strange tattoo on his arm. He was taller than Lupin.

"Remus," he replied half-heartedly. His yellow eyes narrowed at the good wizard. "Mind if I sit down?"

Lupin shook his head. "Not at all." His voice was cold. "Sit. Care for some tea?"

McGorgo shook his head. "I'll pass."

There was something about that voice that sent a chill through the twins' bones. It seemed so familiar. The roughness and frigidness. . .the deep growl that ensued every word. . .the harsh bite of pronunciation of every letter. . . .And his eyes! How yellow they were! And not to forget his teeth! When he scowled at Lupin's coolness of his presence, he presented to the hidden twins two rows of sharp, yellow fangs.

Apollo's mouth dropped. His eyes turned to Artemis, who had her hand over her mouth. They knew who that man was.

Nephthus McGorgo was the man who killed their parents.

Apollo was filled with rage. His every ounce of being trembled with anger. Artemis realized the sun was hitting her brother, and any second now he would break their cover. She quickly took his hand, quivering. Her eyes begged him not to do it. He grimaced, but decided to take his sister's advice. He moved no more.

"What can I do for you, Nephthus?" Lupin asked the werewolf. The twins were severely impressed with how much their former teacher was staying calm.

"Tanigh's the Gatherin'," McGorgo replied. "The whole pack'll be comin'. Fenrir's gonna appoint a deputy, an' we're gonna begin the Hunt." He grinned. "It better be _me_ 'oo gets deputy!"

Lupin frowned, realizing they were getting off-track.

"You said something about The Hunt?"

McGorgo nodded.

"Aye. The full moon's tanigh'. Fenrir's gonna take this advantage ta do three things." He held up one finger. "One: bite more children." He laughed, which sounded like his pointed nails scratching against a blackboard. "The more the merrier!"

The twins saw Lupin flinch. McGorgo didn't notice and continued, holding up another filthy finger.

"Two: have a little fun and look fer dinner--"

The twins suddenly felt sick. They knew what he meant. He meant flesh.

Human flesh.

"--and three: look fer those Warwick brats."

At this Lupin raised his brow. The twins' heart pounded. "The Warwicks?" he asked. "I heard they were dead."

McGorgo furrowed his brow.

"Dead?"

Lupin nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I intercepted a letter from Mad-Eye Moody to Dumbledore. It said the Warwicks fell from their broomsticks during a Death Eater attack and that they had died from broken necks, considering the fact that they fell head-first."

(The twins suddenly realized how miraculous it was that they _did_ survive that fall.)

McGorgo shook his ugly head. "I don't believe it," he growled. "The Order probably sent two letters to Dumbledore, one real and one trick, knowing them bastards. You got the trick one. " He chuckled. "I hate to say it, but those twins are way too powerful to just _die _like that. I think they're still alive. And we'll find 'em." He licked his lips hungrily, then laughed maniacally.

"Of course."

There was a silence between the two men. Finally, Lupin broke it's seal.

"What time does the Gathering begin?"

"Right before moonrise. Everyone's going." McGorgo's eyes flashed. "You'd better be there!"

The ex-teacher's head bobbed. "I'll be there."

McGorgo grinned hideously. "Alright, then," he growled. He stood up and left Lupin. The good wizard watched the werewolf leave, and as soon as he was far enough away, he pointed his wand at the twins and said, "_Ennervate._" The two became visible again. Lupin then turned to wave his wand, and the illusion of the hell-shack vanished. Artemis approached him.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" she asked firmly. "_What_ is the Hunt? _What_ is the Gathering?"

"And when will I be able to _kill _McGorgo?" Apollo hissed. The blood in his veins felt fiery, and his face grew hot.

Lupin turned to them. "Kill McGorgo?" he questioned the twins.

Apollo nodded. "McGorgo was the one who _killed_ our parents!" he shouted. "And he was _right there_! I could have taken him!"

The werewolf shook his head. "Don't be rash, Apollo," he warned the wizard calmly. "If you kill McGorgo, not only will _my_ cover be blown but _yours_as well. Fenrir will discover you and he'll kill you."

Apollo scowled, realizing the teacher was right. Artemis put her arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry, Apollo," she comforted him. "We'll find a way to get back at him."

Lupin smiled warmly. "I'm sure you will."

Lupin conjured up two mugs of hot chocolate and sat the twins down. Lupin sank into the armchair and the twins sat in the wicker chairs. Artemis blew away the steam from her drink and took a sip. Apollo's hard gaze rested on Lupin.

"Tell us, Lupin," he demanded firmly. "What is the Hunt and the Gathering?"

The werewolf replied passively, "The Gathering is a werewolf meeting, if you will. The entire pack comes together to discuss events and goals." He sighed. "Fenrir's pack is a particularly nasty one. Every dark wizard that just happens to be a werewolf is in it. Not only that, but Fenrir is a Death Eater. The whole of his pack is!"

Artemis furrowed her brow. "That tattoo we saw on McGorgo's arm," she asked. "Was that the Dark Mark?"

Lupin nodded. "The Dark Mark, as you probably know, binds a witch or wizard to Voldemort"--Apollo flinched-- "as his servant, or Death Eater." He rolled up his sleeve, which revealed the macabre tattoo. The twins widened their eyes in disbelief. Lupin smiled. "Don't worry; this one is fake. But I have to fit in somehow." He coughed. "The werewolves are following Voldemort for some strange reason, so I have to go find out."

Artemis nearly gagged. "You're _going?_" she choked. "You're _leaving us?_" She felt betrayed, and she feared the night ahead. Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat. She realized something. She and Apollo had probably left a scent for the werewolves to follow when they trekked through the forest. The werewolves would be able to pick it up and follow it back to Lupin's shack, where they would not only discover the twins but Lupin's treachery as well.

"Lupin!" she exclaimed, eyes wide. "Apollo and I! We probably left a scent when we were running to your shack! The werewolves can pick it up!"

Lupin nodded. "That's right," he replied. "But if Nephthus didn't pick it up, I think you'll be fine."

It was hard for the twins to believe that. If they knew the canine species, they knew that dogs and wolves had excellent senses of smell. Supernatural canines probably had super-smell senses. A chill crawled up their spines. "Lupin," Apollo asked softly. "What's gonna happen to us when you go?"

Lupin pondered for a moment. "Well, you can't come with me," he said firmly. "That's completely _out_ of the question." He mulled over the situation a bit longer. The afternoon was almost over. Sunset would be arriving soon. The twins could feel their power reaching equilibrium. "I'll cast a spell that'll conceal your scent," Lupin decided. "The werewolves won't be able to pick it up."

"And the shack?" Artemis inquired. "Will we have to hide? Will you have to cast _Evanesco_ on us again?"

Lupin shook his head. "No," he assured her. "It have a small underground shelter you can use. The hatch is under my bed. Go there as soon as I leave. And Artemis, when the moon rises, you'll be at your full potential. Say the first spell that comes to your head."

Artemis frowned. "Why?"

Lupin stared at her with soft, brown eyes. "Trust me," he said.

For some strange reason, she _did._ Apollo was cooling down as the Sun began to die, only to be reborn at dawn. He was beginning to feel remorse for his actions earlier, and logic swept through him. He knew his twin would soon be feeling headstrong and brave.

"Alright," he said to Lupin. "So what'll happen if we're caught?" Lupin took a deep breath.

"Let's just hope for the best, alright?"

The twins nodded.

Sunset arrived, and Lupin prepared to leave. The twins stood near his bed, quivering in fright. They dreaded the night ahead. They lamented about being left, defenseless. But most of all, they feared Lupin's absence. Something about him was fatherly and kind. They remembered their own father was a kind and gentle man, understanding and intelligent. Lupin was almost exactly like him. Artemis and Apollo felt safe when he was around, even when he taught them at Hogwarts.

Their protector interrupted their thoughts. "I will probably be returning home in my lupine form," he told them. "If that happens, stay in the shelter! Don't leave it until morning, got it?"

They nodded.

"Alright. However, if I don't return home tonight, don't look for me. You'll risk getting caught. If that does happen, _stay in the shelter!_ Apollo, you'll have to find some sunlight. If you do, use the first spells that come to your head."

Lupin then grinned at the twins. "Remember, _wands at the ready_!" he reminded them. The twins smirked back, recalling their ex-professor's favorite motto and also greatest piece of advice. He nodded good-bye and headed out the door.

"Be careful!" Artemis called after him, feeling a pang of worry for Lupin.

"Don't get killed!" Apollo yelled.

When Lupin was out of sight, the twins scurried to his bedroom and crawled under his bed. Sure enough, there was a trap door hidden there. Apollo unlatched it and they climbed down, careful not to fall. It wasn't a very big distance--just about four feet. When they reached the ground, they felt a slight hill under their feet. They followed it until they found themselves under Lupin's shack. It was dark, dank, and dusty down in that area. However, they found that they could stand up straight, so they weren't complaining.

"_Lumos_," Apollo whispered. A silvery light appeared from the tip of his wand. The room was illuminated, revealing a small, earthen space with a few sacks and barrels stacked in a corner. A door mouse scuttled away from the light. Spiders spun their webs in a peaceful silence, ignoring the twins as they worked. Apollo moved the light over, and gasped. There were tunnels carved into the walls of the space. They were about six feet wide, five of them littering the bulwarks.

"Where do they lead to?" Artemis asked her brother. She hid behind him, eyes wide. He shrugged.

"I dunno," he replied. "There's only one way to find out!"

He hurried over to the nearest tunnel and crawled into it. Artemis held her breath as he went further into the enclosed, earthen path. Finally, she heard him shout, "This one's a dead end!"

She watched as he climbed out and dusted off his robes. He motioned the next hole. "Go check that one out," he ordered her. "I'll do the other one."

Artemis obeyed, whispered "_Lumos_," and scurried over to the hole. She climbed into it, and, taking a deep breath, crawled up the brown tunnel. Roots stuck out of the ground and swept past her hair. There were many pebbles jabbing at her elbows, and she winced in pain. Centipedes and spiders made their appearance by climbing upon her arms. Finally, she reached the end. Nothing. Dead end. Groaning, she quickly returned to the room, where she found Apollo already there. She wiped off her robes (and a few insects).

"Nothing," she reported.

"Same here," her brother said. "Next tunnels!"

"I have a better idea," Artemis told her brother. Placing her wand in her palm, she breathed, "_Point me._"

Her wand began to spin around, first pointing north. Swiveling around a bit more, it finally rested upon the last tunnel. The twins approached it. Apollo practically leaped into it and in the next two minutes was out again.

"That's the one," he grinned happily. "If we have any trouble, we'll go through there."

Artemis nodded and returned to the middle of the room, sitting down. She looked up and furrowed her brow. She noticed something. She rose, squinting her silver eyes. There was a crack in the shack's floor. Through this crack, she could see a window. Through this window, Artemis could see it was darker out. The moon was not yet visible, but it's nascent power rushed through her like an energy potion. She smirked. Apollo turned to her. "Arty," he warned, knowing now what his sister could become. "Please. Be _sensible_. Lupin told us to stay here. You wouldn't want to disobey him, would you?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Lupin would _want _us to discover what the _hell_ is going on, right?" She raised her wand. "I think we should. Come on!"

Apollo shook his head. "No, Arty," he said sternly. "I won't get killed because of _your_ foolishness."

_"Come here."_

"No."

"_Get over here._"

"No!"

Artemis gazed at him, widening her eyes. She wasn't doing it on purpose, Apollo knew, but her eyes reflected longing, curiosity, and a lust for the truth. He suddenly felt sorry for her. Deep down, he wanted to know what exactly they were up against. He _wanted_ to see Fenrir's pack. But he knew Lupin would be enraged to a point where _Avada Kedavra_ might be a blessing. But on the other hand, if they were supposed to fight Fenrir's pack, wouldn't Lupin _want_ them to observe the ferocious group? Wouldn't he _want_ them to take note of their weaknesses? Wouldn't he?

Apollo groaned. "Fine," he mumbled reluctantly. He dragged his feet over to Artemis, slouching by her side. "What do you have in mind?"

Artemis grinned. She remembered Lupin's instructions: _Say the first spell that comes to your head._

"Just stay close."

Taking her brother's hand, she shouted boldly, "_Incognatius!_"

At once, their bodies disappeared, their earthen scents vanished, and they could no longer speak, but communicate telepathically. Apollo clasped his twin's hand tightly.

_What the hell are you doing?_ he screamed at her. _Where did you learn this spell?_

_I dunno,_ she replied honestly. _It just came to me._

_Well, what do propose we do now?_

_Just follow me and DON'T LET GO!_

She led Apollo to the fifth tunnel and they began to scale it. They came to a wooden hatch disguised by clumps of dirt and grass. Using her other hand, Artemis lifted it and they climbed out. They found themselves just outside Lupin's shack. They looked up. The moon wasn't up yet, so they still had time to reach the pack. In the dying light, the forest was a menagerie of shadows. It made the settings around them a bit more grotesque and moribund than they already were.

_What now?_ Apollo asked, raising an invisible eyebrow.

Artemis thought for a moment. _Well, I can't use '_Point me_' because using magic in this state will blow our cover._ She pondered the situation a bit longer before spotting something embedded in the cold, dead ground.

_Look!_ she exclaimed. _Footprints! _

_They must be Lupin's!_ Apollo hollered excitedly. _Let's go!_

They followed the prints towards the forest, feeling a little like the foolish muggles Hansel and Gretel going to see the cannibalistic witch.


	10. The Myrmidons

**The Myrmidons**

The footprints lured the twins deep into the heart of the forest. A chilling gale swept through their souls. They shivered, but still grasped each other's hand. The moon was still in a celestial womb, not yet born. However, it's silver light began to surface as the sun sank deeper into the sky. It's dying light twisted the landscape, making the twins think they were constantly surrounded. Somewhere in the distance, a raven cawed loudly.

_Where are we?_ Apollo asked.

Artemis shrugged. _I dunno_, she admitted. Suddenly, her ears perked up. She turned to Apollo, who apparently had heard it too. They looked ahead. The sound was coming from a few hundred yards in front of them. They heard drunken laughter, roars, bellows, and howls.

_We must be close_, Apollo said. Artemis nodded, and they ran to the sounds. Leaping over roots, logs, fallen branches, and rocks, they felt as if they were flying towards the noise. The smell of roasting pigs met their nostrils, as well as the stench of beer and flesh. The sounds grew louder, and the twins could see a fiery glow directly in front of them.

Suddenly, they reached a ledge. They stopped abruptly. Below them, in the ravine and clearing, were about two hundred people. They were all dancing, hooting wildly to bizarre music. Most of them had the Dark Mark carved into their arms. In the distance was a large rock, where a huge man was presiding, proud and terrifying. What made the twins happy was that no one seemed to notice them. Artemis's spell had worked after all.

_We have to go down there_, she told her brother.

Apollo shot her a look. _Are you mental?_ he asked her angrily. _We're not stepping near those people!_

Artemis sighed. _Don't worry,_ she assured her brother, her voice warm and soft. _The spell conceals our scent and, well, us. To them, we're not even here_. _If we let go of our hands, though, _then_ we'll have something to worry about._

Apollo frowned. _How do you know?_

_I made it up, didn't I? And it's working, isn't it?_

Apollo snorted in reply.

Still holding each others' hand, they crept down the side of the ledge, careful not to fall and let go. They hopped onto the leafy ground, faced with a drunken pack of werewolves.

_Let's find Lupin_, Artemis suggested. Apollo nodded in agreement.

Trying to avoid bumping into the partying psychos, the two skipped their way through the crowd. Dark Marks were everywhere, and the twins flinched every time they saw one. Evil was real. And the proof was dancing right next to them.

The moon was beginning to rise.

_Look!_ Apollo shouted, pointing in a certain direction.

Artemis saw Lupin, standing in a flannel shirt and corduroy pants. A brown cloak was tied around his neck. He was in a group of three other people--two women and Nephthus McGorgo. Apollo glared at the greasy-haired werewolf, and began to pull out his wand. Artemis stopped him before he could blow their covers. Careful to steer clear of the rambunctious group, the twins crept up to Lupin, taking a final stance beside him.

"--When _I_ was bitten, I couldn't find a job _anywhere_," one of the women was saying. She had long, dark-red hair and cold, black eyes. "It was _terrible_."

McGorgo grinned and stroked the woman's chin. "You should have come to _me_, Morganna," he cooed. "I would have given you a well-paying job!"

Morganna slapped his hand away, though she smirked with devilish pleasure. Her eyes glimmered with seductive intrigue. Lupin turned to the other girl. "What about you, Evanna?" he asked the white-blond woman. She was shorter than Morganna and appeared shyer. "How was your employment?"

She shrugged. "Terrible," she replied, hanging her head. "Ever since they passed that stupid law, it's been hard ta even get a job as a God-fer-saken waitress!" Then she grinned. "Tha's why I'm joinin' up with Voldemort. If 'e can get the world to see we're not all bad, then he's _my_ Lord!"

McGorgo and Morganna laughed, throwing back their heads. Lupin nodded, though quietly mumbled, "Poor misguided fools." Evanna peered at him.

"What about you, Remus?" she asked the man. "Weren't you a teacher at Hogwarts?"

Lupin nodded. "I was," he replied. "For a year I took the job as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"How was it?" This was Morganna.

Lupin shrugged. "Ghastly," he lied, though it was hard to tell, he sounded so _angry._ "The pay was terrible, the children were miscreants, and everyone stared at me as if I was about to tackle them and rip their throats out."

The other three looked at him and nodded gravely, as if they understood. But the twins knew Lupin had _adored_ his job, _loved_ the kids, and _cherished_ his life there.

"What about Dumbledore?" McGorgo inquired, furrowing his brow. "And Potter?"

_Potter?_ Apollo asked.

_Harry!_ Artemis told him.

_Oh._

"What about _them_?"

The black-haired werewolf groaned. "You were _right there_!" he shouted, throwing his arms up into the air. "You could have _killed them_!" He snarled and bared his lupine teeth. "You couldn't, could you? You couldn't snipe Dumbly-dore 'cause he was _kind_ to you! You couldn't destroy Potter 'cause his folks were yer _best friends_!" A macabre and moribund growl was rumbling from deep within his throat. "Not even the _Warwicks_! And they were yer _students_! They were _right there_!" He closed his fists, shaking with rage. Lupin reached inside his pocket, ready for action. His eyes flashed, brave and defiant. McGorgo stepped back a little ways, then ran towards him at full speed.

_Lupin!_ the twins screamed, lusting to move him out of the way. But if they did that, they'd be discovered. Instead, they could only watch, wide-eyed and frozen with fear, as their teacher was plowed to the ground. . . .

. . . .Or so they thought. Right before McGorgo could ram him, Lupin pulled out his wand and pointed it straight at McGorgo's throat. He stopped abruptly, head raised, panting heavily. His eyes narrowed at Lupin.

"Traitor," he hissed. By this time nearly the whole pack was staring at them, murmuring.

"I resent that," Lupin replied coolly. With speed and strength the twins never saw him have, he kicked the blazing werewolf squarely in the chest. McGorgo fell to the ground. Lupin kept his wand on him, his face straight, his eyes serious, and his aura containing enough bravado to take on the entire pack. McGorgo stayed in the dirt, growling viciously at him. "I did not kill Dumbledore, Potter, or the Warwicks because that would be an _extremely stupid_thing to do!" he bellowed back. "Committing murder in a densely populated, highly-secured building where I'd be _outnumbered_ would be like me pointing my wand to my head and casting the Killing Curse!"

"Then why don't you?" McGorgo sneered, his lip curling.

Lupin leaned in close to him. "Because, unlike you, _I_ have sense," he spat. "_I_ have dignity. _I _have intelligence!" He stood back up, lowering his wand. "_I _have something to live for!"

Artemis frowned. _Something to live for? Does he mean us?_

Apollo sighed. _I dunno. But what else is going on for him? _

_The Order!_ Artemis cried. _His mission!_ She paused and hesitated. _Us. _

_D'you think he really loves us?_ Apollo asked her. _We _were_ his students and we've only been living with him for a few hours! Honestly, does he really feel like he should protect us and be like a foster father?_

Artemis just shrugged.

McGorgo stood up, brushed himself off, and stomped away. Morganna and Evanna followed, glaring back at Lupin. The pack was watching them leave, then focused their attention on Lupin. He stared back, then angrily marched through the crowd, away from McGorgo.

_C'mon!_ Artemis urged her brother. They followed Lupin, ducking and creeping through the crowd. He stood in the center, trying to cool down. Another werewolf walked up to him. The twins silently gasped. He couldn't be more than thirteen years old! He had spiky brown hair, big blue eyes, and an everlasting look of innocence stamped onto his face. His clothes were torn, and he wore no shoes. However, he donned a black eye. Someone had been pushing this poor boy around.

He touched Lupin's arm. "You okay, Remus?" he asked, the concern in his voice not hidden. Lupin nodded and looked at the boy kindly. Artemis suddenly realized that the boy probably didn't usually get too many gentle looks like that.

"I'm fine, Sebastian," he replied. "You know McGorgo--always the first to criticize, never the first to do anything about it."

Sebastian grinned. "He wouldn't be the McGorgo we know and love if he didn't!"

They both laughed.

Apollo looked up and tugged on Artemis's sleeve. _Look!_

She looked up. The moon had risen. Any second now these people would be transforming into the beasts they really were. Far in the distance, the twins saw Fenrir Greyback take his stand at the the huge rock.

"My children!" he bellowed. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to Greyback. He smirked and raised his arms in the air. "The moon rises! We have little time before we become our true forms!" The pack howled and hooted in ecstasy. Lupin did as well, to seem like he was one of _them._ The twins shivered.

"Tonight!" Greyback continued, "I crown a deputy! Tonight!--" He paused as the crowd went wild. "Tonight, we feed our hungry bellies! Tonight, we hunt for the children who can destroy our noble cause!" The pack went crazy. They shoved each other, howled, hooted, shrieked, yelled, and clawed madly at the air. The twins huddled close to each other. Greyback fed off of this insanity and went on speaking. "Then, when we have eaten the flesh of our enemies, we shall shake the foundations of the Earth! We shall rise up, and smite those who think us monsters!"--the crowd screamed in response-- "Grotesque! Hideous! Anarchic!" He bent down. "But we'll show them, right, my children?" he asked them. They snickered maliciously. "We'll show them _who are the monsters!_"

The pack cheered. Greyback threw back his head and howled, the pack following his lead. When he finished, he raised a hand, the the pack quieted. "Now to business," he said. "As you all know, my previous deputy, Ikarus Stroffe, was brutally murdered with silver bullets"--the pack hissed-- "so, to take his place will be Astrophel Lycorne!"

A tall, blond-haired man jogged up to Fenrir's rock and kneeled down whilst Fenrir's nails elongated to knight him. The twins saw McGorgo grimace, then spit onto the ground. Lupin grinned to himself. The twins could feel their moods slightly elevating as well. Here was this foul man, McGorgo, who had killed their parents and attacked Lupin. It was nice to see this wretched creature so angry.

Fenrir looked up at the sky. The moon was almost at it's zenith. He quickly turned to the pack. "My children!" he cried, throwing his muscular arms high. "Our time has come! Feast well, filials of darkness! Hunt true, demonic cherubs! Forget not the mission!"

Suddenly, a terrible groan filled the air, followed by screams and roars. The twins watched in horror as their beloved teacher's kindly face distorted into a ferocious snarl. He fell to the ground, writhing. His body was. . ._growing._ His limbs were becoming leaner and longer, his hands becoming _patte_-like paws with needle claws. His neck stretched as well, and his jaws cracked and split. His face became lupine; he grew a snout with snapping teeth, his eyes became yellow, and his ears become long and pointy. His clothes ripped.

Then, nothing. His transformation was complete. The twins realized, as they looked around, that many of the werewolves were finished changing. They saw McGorgo, who's inner beast was a towering black wolf with yellow eyes and dripping fangs. Sebastian's wolf looked like a young pup, but nonetheless hellish. Morganna's was a tall red monster. Evanna's was small, whitish wolf. There were a couple of werewolves with no hair, just ugly skin. Lupin was one of these creatures. However, the most terrifying was Fenrir. His inner wolf was a behemoth compared to McGorgo. He had peppery fur. His snout was short, thus accentuating his horrible, yellow fangs. He was muscular, and his limbs were all thick and tree-trunk like. His claws were at least a foot long, and well managed. They were like natural daggers.

The werewolves' pitiful whimpering filled the forest. Some were shaking as they stood up, while other lay on the ground a bit longer until the pain went away. The twins watched in macabre fascination as all of the werewolves gazed up at the full moon and howled. Artemis could feel her power reach it's full potential. All of the sudden, Lupin stared straight at the twins and roared. The other werewolves followed his lead, glaring hungrily at them. The twins looked around at the monstrous wolves that surrounded them. The werewolves began moving in closer. With a pang of terror in their guts, the twins realized a horrifying fact.

They had let go of each other's hands.


	11. What To Do When

What To Do When You're Being Chased By Bloodthirsty Werewolves

Artemis and Apollo stared in horror at the snapping, snarling jaws surrounding them. The beasts were crouched low, their blazing eyes emitting the hunger within. The twins stood back-to-back, eyes wide and jaws a-gaping. They knew it deep within--they were done for, that they'd soon be reunited with their dear parents. The world would then be enveloped in fierce darkness. They had failed.

"Any bright ideas?" Apollo asked his sister.

The moon's power tingled in Artemis' veins. She looked around; the werewolves were so close now, she could feel their hot, rank breath on her face. Her eyes jumped upward to the sky. It was a clear night, the moon hanging in the dark sky. She slightly grinned, and grabbed Apollo's hand.

"Hold on!" she told him. She pointed her wand at the ground, looking up. "_Propellus!_"

Suddenly, right as the werewolves pounced, the twins shot up into the air, thanks to a shooting star-like tail of sparks coming out of Artemis' wand. Apollo looked back down at the wriggling mass of twisting lupine bodies below them. He turned to his sister. "What spell is _this?_" he asked her. "Another new one?"

She nodded. "This one will get us far enough away from the pack," she replied steadily. "It'll run out of fuel soon, though."

Apollo shook his head, golden eyes wide. "Lupin is _not_ going to be happy when he finds out." Artemis chuckled. She shifted her arm, and her wand suddenly guided them towards the shack. It was the only place they'd be safe. They could hide in the basement, where they found the many tunnels. Yes. That's what they'd do.

Apollo looked down at the forest below. He could see the pack of werewolves prancing, hunting, fighting, scurrying, sniffing, and clawing about. They wound themselves through the forest like twine around a finger. He shivered. He could smell their putrid breath from all the way up in the air. He could sense their mad, ravenous feelings as they scoured the forest for food and--an even _more_ horrendous thought--_them_. It was then he realized the true magnitude of their destiny. _Every one_of these insane beings would rule the world, changing every month or so to find food and new pack members. And not only that, but Fenrir would become king. King. As master of these bloodthirsty creatures, he would command them to search the land for fresh victims. If _every_werewolf followed his command, the world would be thrown into chaos. Every person in the world--especially Muggles--would perish, or else join Fenrir. This would happen, that is, if he and his sister didn't step in and defeat him.

Suddenly, the sparks shooting behind them began to fade and cease. Artemis cursed. "This isn't good!" she shouted, as she and Apollo soon plunged to the earth, right towards the werewolves. The grabbed each others' hands. The ground was coming up to meet them fast. A werewolf looked up and spotted them. It excitedly began to leap up into the air, snapping it's jaws. McGorgo and Morganna saw what this werewolf was doing, gazed upwards, and joined the crazed thing. All three werewolves were clawing at the air and baring their yellow teeth. They were howling and barking like mad bloodhounds. Apollo screamed. The werewolves jumped into the air. Their claws pawed maliciously at the sky. They twins were done for.

"Hold on!" Artemis roared. She pulled Apollo to her, then pointed her wand at the werewolves. "_Incendio!_"

As the blazing stream of fire erupted from the tip of her wand, the ravenous creatures below shrieked and fled. The tip of McGorgo's tail, however, was caught by the flames. He yelped as he pranced about, hitting his tail.

The flames had propelled the twins upward. They were up so high, they could see the distant outline of Lupin's shack. The flames ceased. Smirking, Artemis turned the wand towards her and her brother. "_Locomotor!_"

A stream of silver light warmly enveloped the twins. "What's happening?" Apollo asked urgently, his eyes darting back and forth. They were hovering about seventy-five feet above the ground.

"We can fly now," his sister replied. "I can control where we go."

It was true: as she whipped her wand to the left, the twins were flung left. Apollo smiled.

"Let's get the _hell_ home!"

Nodding, Artemis pulled her wand back, which moved them forward. Apollo sighed in relief. Finally, they were heading home.

The twins returned home that night, stumbling through the front door. They reluctantly returned underground, where they fell into a deep, sound sleep.

That was, until, Lupin woke them up.

"What in _heaven's_ name happened last night?" he bellowed. His face was red. His eyes shot daggers at the twins. They shuddered; they'd never seen him _this_ angry. They could either tell him the truth or play dumb.

They decided to play dumb. "Whaddya mean?" Apollo asked.

"We were here the entire time," Artemis said, her voice sweet and innocent.

Lupin shook his head. "You know very well that you weren't!" he growled. "Your footprints are outside! For some _strange_reason, McGorgo has been badly burned!" He took a deep breath. "Why is that?"

The twins looked at each other. They hesitated, their worried faces asking each other who wanted to go first. Apollo lost the mental battle against his twin. He turned to Lupin, twiddling with his thumbs. "Well, Lupin, erm," he began. "We kind of--"

"Kind of _what_?"

Apollo took a deep breath. "Well, we, er, we, uh"--he sighed-- "we snuck out last night."

"_What!?_"

The boy shrunk back and scurried back to his sister. Lupin was so mad, it was scary. "_Why_ did you sneak out after I _told_ you to stay _here_?" he demanded, throwing his hands into the air. Artemis replied this time.

"We were curious," she said, her voice small and shy. "We figured you'd want us to see what we're up against."

At this, Lupin sat down on a barrel, rubbing his face and his temples. "Do you know how incredibly _stupid_ that was?" he asked softly. "You could have been killed, my cover could've been blown. . . ."

The twins felt their faces grow hot. They were ashamed, and realized that, yes, what they did was stupendously idiotic. It was indeed a miracle that they _did _survive. More than once, they had come close to being painfully dismembered and disemboweled. Lupin was right. They had let him down.

"We're sorry, Lupin," Apollo apologized.

"But in our defense," Artemis pointed out brashly, ignoring the warning looks her twin was sending her, "you _did_ tell me to say the first spell that came to my head."

Lupin looked up. "And which spell would _that_ be?" he asked, his voice slightly dripping with venom, yet weariness as well.

"I dunno," Artemis admitted. "I kind of made it up."

At this, Lupin raised his eyebrow. "You _made it up_?" There was wonder in his voice, curiosity twinkling in his tired eyes. "What was it called?"

"_Incognatius_."

The corner of Lupin's mouth curled into a slight grin. "From the Latin 'incognito,' meaning '_without being noticed or known_.'" He smiled broadly. "How'd it work?"

A wave of relief washed over the twins. Lupin's anger was gone; he was the kind and interesting teacher they knew and loved. Apollo exhaled, his tension and worry leaving with the carbon dioxide. He sank down against the earthen walls, then removed his long over-robe. He realized he was sweating like hell. Artemis grinned and took a seat next to Lupin on a barrel. She softly slapped the top of her legs. "Well," she began, leaning in, "while Apollo and I held hands, I'd cast the spell. We'd disappear completely, and no one'd be able to smell us, and we wouldn't be able to speak, but talk to each other mentally. The only way to blow this cover would be to talk, use magic, or let go of our hands."

Lupin was amazed, Artemis could tell. His eyes widened, and his smile vanished to make way for a disbelieving gape. She sat up and crossed her arms. "Artemis," Lupin said, "if I were still your teacher, I'd give you top marks for this." Artemis beamed. Lupin grinned wryly. "However," he continued, addressing both teens, "you _did_ disobey my orders."

Artemis frowned and furrowed her brow. She opened her mouth to protest, but was silenced by Lupin. "You shall clean the outhouse as a punishment." Apollo jumped up.

"_What_?"

The werewolf nodded. "Oh, yes." he said.

"But what if someone comes along and sees us?" Artemis inquired, her cheeks red with anger.

Lupin smirked. "Use _Incognatius_, of course."

"But how'll you know we won't run away?" Apollo asked hotly, since he was beginning to consider it.

Lupin shrugged, saying, "You'll see."


	12. The Lady in the Fire

**The Lady in the Fire**

To clean the foulest outhouse the twins had ever seen, Lupin equipped them with enchanted cleaning utensils. While the twins invisibly scrubbed the hell out of the WC, the utensils were still visible. Any passerby would have thought the homeowner jinxed the tools to clean on their own. They were sadly mistaken. Should they have somehow spotted the twins doing this laborious work, all filthy and rank, they would certainly have called Child Services (should they be ignorant Muggles), or the Ministry of Magic.

After taking long, hot showers in an outside bath house, the twins dressed (but didn't put on their overrobes) and returned to the shack. It was snowing outside, the virgen voyage of the year for the fluffy white flakes gracing the hard, cracked ground. Lupin sat inside, reading the _Daily Prophet_by a blazing fire. The headline, which was so long it was wrapped around the entire article, read, "Former Minister Fudge Attacks Minister Scrimgeor on Daring Strategy to Rid World of Dark Wizards and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Apollo and Artemis plopped themselves in front of the crackling inferno, rubbing their frozen hands to regain warmth. Lupin smirked. "Learned your lesson?"

Apollo groaned. "_Yes_," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Good. Artemis?"

She turned to their professer. "I'd never _dream_ of doing it again," she said, though she didn't believe herself.

Lupin smiled, flapped the paper, and said, "Good."

The girl turned back to the fire while her brother looked over at the wise wizard sitting in the armchair. He read the headline.

"'Ey, Lupin," he said. "Wha's goin' on with Fudge and Scrimgeor?"

Lupin folded the _Prophet _to the front page. "Ah," he said. "Well, it seems Fudge wants to reassert his power in the Ministry by criticizing Scrimgeor's plan to smoke out dark wizards and Voldemort, then execute them."

Apollo frowned. "Why would he do that? I heard Scrimgeor's plan was a good one."

Lupin shook his head. "It's not," he replied gravely. "Scrimgeor wants to send every wizard he has at his command to the furthest corners of the earth and capture these dark wizards, then bring them back to the Ministry for trial and, eventually, execution."

Artemis spun around, her silver eyes flashing. "What?" she exclaimed. "That's completely _ludicrous_! Who'd protect us if all of the Aurors and Squads are gone? And no one's left to run the Departments?"

"I dunno," Lupin admitted, shrugging. "It's stupid. Only Aurors know how to handle dark wizards correctly. Imagine someone from the Department of Magical Transportation fighting a Death Eater." He chuckled.

All of the sudden, Apollo screamed. Lupin jumped up; Artemis spun around just in time to see Apollo scramble away from the fire. He was pointing to it, stammering, "T-there's a l-lady in the f-f-fire!"

Lupin's and Artemis' eyes darted to the fire. It was true. There _was_ a woman in the fire. Or, really, it was just her face. Artemis immediately recognized her from her short, spiky hair.

"Tonks!" she cried happily.

Tonks' jaw dropped. "Artemis?" she asked, disbelievingly. "You're alive?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. S'rry we didn't tell you."

"That's f-fine," she breathed; the fire cracked. "Is your brother alright?"

Apollo, who was hiding behind his sister, poked his head out from behind. "Er, hi Tonks."

The witch giggled. "What're doing behind Artemis?" she asked.

"Well, it's not every day you speak to someone through a _fire._"

"True."

Her fiery face darkened. "It's good to know you two are alive," she said, "but I need to speak with Lupin alone."

The fire crackled again.

Sighing, the twins got up and went into Lupin's bedroom, where they shut the door. However, they were naturally curious, and pressed their large ears against the wood. They heard the fire crack and pop after Tonks spoke.

"Remus," she began, her voice soft yet firm with concern. "The Order's worried. They feel you're taking too long. And with the battle coming up. . . .Have you made any progress?"

"Yes," they heard Lupin say. "Apparently, many werewolves are joining up with Fenrir and Voldemort because they can't find employment. They think Voldemort will change the world for them."

The twins heard Tonks groan. "Why are they so _stupid?_" she complained. "No offense, Remus."

"None taken."

Tonks sighed. "Remus, the Order wants one"-- she paused as she appeared to be listening to someone ask her something; she nodded--"two things from you."

"What?"

The twins could tell Tonks was hesitating. "Well, one, they want you to. . .to. . . start undermining the pack's beliefs and turn them against Voldemort and Greyback."

Their was a silence between the two. They realized Lupin had just been handed a great, dangerous burden that was forced upon him, on _top_ of the one he already had. He sighed wearily. "And two?"

"First, I have to ask you this."

"Why?"

"It leads up to two."

"Fine."

"Well," Tonks asked, "how do you feel about the Warwicks staying with you?"

The twins braced themselves for a disappointing reply. Something along the lines of, "They're a burden. The boy is wild and the girl doesn't listen to orders. Take them from me." Instead, they heard this: "I don't mind it. It's great to have some company, and they're both fine kids."

Tonks sighed with relief. "Good," she said, her voice light and happy. "Because the Order would like to know if you'd like to be their new guardian."

Artemis nearly squealed; Apollo almost whooped. Lupin? Their new _guardian?_ They could feel their hearts leap in their chests. Their pulses quickened. They loved Lupin. Having him as their guardian would open a new chapter in their lives, a chapter of adventure, learning, and placement. They listened eagerly for his reply.

"Wow," they heard him say breathlessly. He sat on the armchair. "What a thing to ask for."

"Well?" Tonks inquired impatiently. "Will you, or won't you?"

There was silence, a painful, mocking silence that jabbed a crooked finger at the twins. Their hearts pounded. Beads of sweat slowly dripped down their faces. They could feel their muscles tightening. Their breath was labored with excitement. Finally, Lupin replied. They heard him get up and walk over to the fire.

"I'd love to be their new guardian."

The twins burst out of the bedroom, whooping. They tackled Lupin, embracing him. He was surprised, but began laughing. Tonks began cracking up too. The twins were so happy. Their hearts were pumping out of their chests. They could hardly believe this wonderful, new fact: Lupin was their guardian!

"It seems you all'll get along just fine," Tonks chuckled, eyes sparkling.

Lupin smiled; he tried to get up, but he had Artemis wrapped around his arms and Apollo clinging onto his legs. With great difficulty, he pulled himself off of the ground. The twins still held their grasps on him. "Oh, yes," Lupin agreed happily. "Like family."

The twins grinned broadly.

_Family_.

Family was a word they hadn't heard in ages. When they first arrived at Lupin's shack, they didn't have one. Now they had Lupin to care for them, love them, and be their father. They _were_ a family. And how happy they were together.

"Great, well, I'll send you the papers, Remus," Tonks said.

Lupin didn't hear her. Of course, had Lupin heard Tonks, he would have said, "Don't send them here, there are too many spies around. Give them to me later." However, he was too caught up in the moment. He had something to care for, to live for. He was immensely happy for once in his life. Instead, he said this:

"Sure, that's great."

Tonks smiled. "Wonderful," she said. She hesitated. "Oh, er, Lupin? Could I have a word? _Alone?_"

The orotund sound of laughter ceased. The twins and their new guardian looked up at the woman in the fire. Lupin frowned. He looked down at the Warwicks, who obediently released him. Without having him to ask, they once more retreated to his bedroom, where, again, they pressed their eager ears against the door.

"What is it, Tonks?"

They heard her sigh. "Remus, I miss you," she confessed. "I can't live a day without you by my side."

The twins blinked. Had they just heard her correctly?

"Tonks," Lupin said wearily, as if he had repeated it numerous times over a period of three minutes or so. "We've discussed this. I'm too old for you. Now is not the time."

Tonks groaned loudly and angrily. "You _always_ say that! But I'm never going to give up on you!"

"Tonks--"

"No! Listen!" She took a calming breath. "I've loved you since the day I laid eyes on you! How do you know we're not meant to be? Answer me, Remus!"

There was a pause. "Tonks, I--I." He hesitated. "I don't want you to get your heart broken."

"My heart _broken?_"

"I'm older," Lupin went on, melancholy in his voice. "I'm a _werewolf_." He sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

Tonks made kind of a _hmph_ sound, then there was a loud _crack_ and all was silent.

The twins creaked the door open and tiptoed out of the room. They saw Lupin standing quietly in front of the fire, hanging his head in shame. They approached him.

"Lupin?" Artemis asked softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He looked up, giving the Warwicks a sad little smile. "I'll be fine," he assured them, but the twins could tell he was lying. They knew he had a lot to sort out in his head. Deciding not to interfere, they pat him on the back and sat down at the table, where they arm wrestled. Lupin sat back in his fluffy armchair, once more rubbing his temples.


	13. McGorgo's Plot

**McGorgo's Plot**

Nephthus McGorgo lurked through the forest in the dead of night. The moon was a slim crescent in the navy sky. The stars glared at him like cold, fiery eyes, judging him. They watched his every move, weighing his deeds on the Scale of Truth. He ignored them, even though the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up and prickle.

He darted through the forest, all the while thinking to himself, _I am so clever! _See, Nephthus McGorgo was on a mission. In his pocket, clanging together, were four silver bullets. In his coat was a large pistol. In his head was a scenario of what was to come. He chuckled softly.

McGorgo had been furious when Astrophel Lycorne, the tall blond werewolf, was chosen as Deputy over him. How could Greyback do such a thing to him? _He_was the most loyal member of the pack! Not Lycorne! It was _him_ who killed the Warwicks' parents! Not _Lycorne!_Therefore, McGorgo had made up his mind to make a difference.

Hence the pistol and silver bullets.

He had told Lycorne to meet him at the Faerie Stream, where a clan of faeries lived. There, he had lied, they could discuss ways to track down the Warwicks more efficiently and quickly. Unbeknownst to Lycorne, it would be his last time on Earth. After the deed was done, McGorgo would return to the pack with a dead rabbit, as if he had been out hunting, and in the morning the pack would discover their Deputy dead. McGorgo would point out the gun was made by Muggles (which it was; he had purchased the pistol at the Muggle village that laid on the outskirts of the forest). He'd then offer to kill the Muggle who did the deed and when he did bring back the murderous body (recognizable by the receipt), Greyback would commend him for his brave act and make him Deputy.

It was all so _simple._

McGorgo was shaking all over with excitement. He could hardly wait! And as he grew nearer to his destination, his black heart skipped beats and fluttered in his chest.

The moon's dim light reflected off the Faerie Stream, making seem like it was made of crystal instead of cool, clear water. The sound of trickling water echoed softly throughout the small area. It flowed over small pebbles and stones. The Stream itself wound itself through a petite area of the forest, fed by an underground well. It was surrounded by large boulders, underneath which it was rumored the faeries built their village. An aura of mystery and beauty hung over the Stream.

McGorgo crept up behind a wide oak tree. His heart leapt. There, leaning against a boulder, was Lycorne. His thin hands were snug in his pockets. His assassin grinned viciously. _Stupid fool_, he thought. He quietly loaded the pistol, careful not to allow the bullets jingle together. He also had to wear thick gloves, so he didn't leave fingerprints and so the bullets didn't burn his skin.

_Shit!_

One of the bullets fell to the ground, sending a muffled _thump_through the Deputy's ears. Lycorne furrowed his brow and frowned. He pushed away from the boulder. "Hello?" he called. "Nephthus? Is that you?"

The following actions happened quite fast. With great celerity, McGorgo stepped out from behind the tree and shot all four bullets into Lycorne's chest. The Deputy flailed all around as the bullets hit him, before finally falling to the ground. He was panting heavily as the silver boiled and bubbled in his chest. Smoke rose from his body. McGorgo went to him, looming over the doomed Deputy like Death itself.

"Yes," he hissed, yellow eyes gleaming.

With that, Astrophel Lycorne died.

Lupin awoke with a start. Cold sweat dripped down his face. He sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked up at the cuckoo clock that hung on the wall. It was seven-thirty a.m. A sudden shiver passed through his body; he shuddered. Something wasn't right. He rose from his bed and then lifted the hatch that lead to the underground chamber. He climbed down there to check on the twins. With a wave of relief, he saw they were still peacefully sleeping on cots (which were originally sacks until Lupin transfigured them into cots). Still feeling something was wrong, he returned upstairs and sat on his armchair. Anxious thoughts drifted through his mind. _What's going on? _His head was throbbing; he was close to hyperventilating. He wasn't having a panic attack. He hadn't had one of those since he was a second year at Hogwarts. He was just. . .panicking. He felt nauseous, his surroundings seemed blurred, his mind raced, and sounds around him seem muted.

Then he jumped.

He'd heard something. It was haunting, and sent a chill down his spine. Yet, it was the cry of kin. The scream of kith. The call of the werewolf. He then realized he was hearing one hundred and ninety-eight howls of misery and sorrow. Before he had time to wonder why, he heard a knock on his door. He stumbled to the limp piece of tree bark aptly named "Door" and opened it. There stood Sebastian, blue eyes wide yet tearful.

"Remus!" he croaked. "Astrophel's dead!"

Lupin's eyes bugged out of his head. "_What?_"

Sebastian nodded feebly. "McGorgo said he was murdered by a Muggle!"

"A _Muggle?_"

The boy nodded again.

Colors swirled around Lupin as he cursed the high heavens. For a split second, he saw Astrophel's kind face gazing back at him, masked with pain and woe. Cursing again, he realized he had to go to the pack and share in their grief. He'd have to leave the twins alone. "Alright," he groaned. "I'm coming. Let me grab my coat and some shoes." He rushed back inside, swung on a heavy overcoat and some boots, and followed the boy. Whilst he and Sebastian darted through the forest, he figured he'd pretend to see a Dementor, cast a Patronus Charm, and mentally send it (and a message) to the twins. None of the pack members would know where it was going; they were all mourning Astrophel. With a slight lift in mood, that's exactly what he did. And Sebastian didn't even know.


	14. The New Deputy

**The Meeting**

The twins grasped their hands, preparing to once more cast _Incognatius_. Only fifteen minutes before, they had been visited by a speaking, silver wolf that spoke in Lupin's voice. It had said, "Astrophel dead. Stay home. Cast _Incognatius._" Of course, they weren't going to stay home. They needed to see what was going on. Apollo decided he would cast it; although it was overcast a few rays of sunlight were peeking through the clouds, so Apollo had to step in them to gain power, for the desired spell needed a lot of it. He turned to Artemis, who was strangely shaking all over.

"Ready?" he asked her. She nodded feebly. With that, he shouted boldly, "_Incognatius!_"

The warm, tingly feeling that had enveloped them once before did so again, and once more they vanished completely. They trudged out of the shack. The snow had since melted, though a few patches of white lay here and there. The trees glared at the trees. However, a few so kindly pointed the way to the pack's whereabouts. The Warwicks followed them. A chill swept through them, for not only was it freezing, but they could already hear the pack's grieving shrieks.

_Why can't werewolves just cry like normal people?_ Apollo scowled. Artemis shrugged.

_'Cause then they wouldn't be _normal, Artemis pointed out.

With a sudden jolt, they found they were at the werewolves' camp all too soon. The screaming creatures were all circled around something. They were howling, pulling their hair, tearing at their skin, and snapping at the air. The twins shuddered. They realized the thing the werewolves gathered around was a body. It was tall, blond, and very bloody. With all attempts to keep from screaming, they saw it was the werewolf Deputy. It was Astrophel Lycorne.

They carefully climbed down from the little cliff and began to search for Lupin. To get through this tightly-packed mass of wet and rancid bodies, the twins hugged each other tightly, and didn't let go as they trekked through the crowd. They didn't want to have the risk of letting go. Their hearts pounded with fear. They knew they were rubbing up against some werewolves, but the beastss were too caught up in the moment to realize it. As they moved on, they felt the skin of others accidentally, and were always relieved no one noticed.

Until they ran into McGorgo.

When they met with him, he looked down from his "mourning" and flinched. He shifted uncomfortably, but his ophidian eyes followed the invisible twins as if he knew they were there. He glared at the "wind" that had so rudely and roughly caressed him. His gaze turned the twins' blood cold.

_Can he see us?_ Apollo asked.

_I don't think so,_ Artemis replied, though her eyes were wide.

They noticed something eerie about McGorgo. If they looked into other werewolves' eyes, they saw tears and sadness. When they saw McGorgo's, they weren't filled with tears or melancholy. They were filled with happiness and insanity. He was, however, acting like he was mourning. But his eyes. . . .

The twins shook it off as they continued to look for Lupin. They found him on the outskirts of the group with Sebastian. The boy was crying into Lupin's chest. The wise wizard was holding him in a supportive embrace, all the while gazing at the crowd. The nearly ran to him, but restrained and instead casually strode up to him in rushed steps. He was still dressed in his pajamas, which told them he had to leave the shack quickly and without choice. They took a stand by his side.

Fenrir stood on the giant rock, staring at his pack with sadness. Artemis looked up at him with wide eyes. She had to admit, he was a proud and terrifying man. He struck fear into her heart. She watched with intrigue as he spread his arms and silenced the pack.

"My children!" he shouted gravely. All eyes turned to him. "What a terrible day! Our newly appointed Deputy, Astrophel Lycorne, has been killed! I--"

"I know whodunnit!" someone yelled. The entire pack turned to see McGorgo push his way through the crowd to kneel before his leader.

"What's this, Nephthus?" Fenrir inquired, raising a bushy grey eyebrow. "You know?"

McGorgo nodded. "I do, sir," he said boldly. "It was a Muggle!"

Some members of the crowd who hadn't previously known gasped in horror. "A _Muggle?_" Greyback bellowed. "_A mere MUGGLE?"_

"Yes, sir."

Greyback roared. "How do you know this?"

"I witnessed it, sir!"

"Then why did you not _stop it?_"

"I came too late, Your Madness! I came jus' as soon as the Muggle killed him! I 'ad no time, sir!"

Murmurs of inquiry swept through the group like an explosion. Lupin rolled his eyes. Sebastian looked up and wiped his tears away. Artemis looked to Apollo, who had his eyebrows furrowed. He obviously didn't believe him. Neither did Lupin. Unfortunately, it didn't matter whether or not they bought McGorgo's faux tale. Fenrir's thought was all that mattered.

"I can find him, sire!" McGorgo continued. "I know the filthy Muggle whodunnit!" He dashed up the giant boulder and knelt before Greyback once more. He bowed his head. "If Your Madness would permit me ta search fer the Muggle, I would be able to find him, and bring his torn body back as a trophy!"

Fenrir Greyback thought for a few moments, then nodded deeply. "Very well," he agreed. "Come back with the Deputy's murderer. Dead, of course."

McGorgo grinned wickedly, then quickly hid it behind a mask of gratitude and concern. He bowed, then stood up. "Thank you, sire. I shan't let you down."

Greyback motioned him to go. McGorgo lept off of the rock and dashed through the crowd. Lupin watched him go, then sat down. The twins followed. They figured they had to stay and see the outcome. The pack responded to McGorgo's leave by whispers and mumbles. Fenrir flapped his cape and disappeared behind the giant stone. McGorgo, on the other hand, was too far away to care. He chuckled to himself as he went. His plan was working.

It wasn't until two hours later that McGorgo returned, dragging the broken, chewed, ripped, and extremely bloody body of an old Muggle man. The twins gasped. Artemis turned away and nudged her head into Apollo's chest. Lupin didn't even flinch, but instead pushed Sebastian's curious head behind his back. The pack stared wide-eyed at the dead man. No one said a word. Apollo craned his neck to get a better look at him. He was wearing overalls and a plaid hunting jacket. His boots were covered in dried mud. He must have been sixty. His face was rift with hundreds of weary wrinkles. He had a bushy beard. But it was what McGorgo did to him that sent a chill through everyone's soul. He had ripped the man's stomach wide open, and a few of his entrails were trailing by his feet. His eye sockets were bleeding, as if McGorgo plucked out his eyes. Claw marks were scraped mercilessly across his face. One of his fingers from his limp hands was bitten off. His right leg was bent at an awkward angle.

McGorgo approached the giant rock where Greyback presided and flung the dead body in front of him. "Here is the bastard," he hissed viciously. "This is the man who killed Astrophel."

The pack cheered wildly; Fenrir held up a hand and silenced them. "How do you know?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. In response, McGorgo pulled a receipt from his coat breast pocket.

"I found _this_," he said, "in his pocket." He brought it up to Greyback, who snatched it from his outstretched hand and examined the small piece of paper. All eyes stared at them.

"This man bought a pistol and four silver bullets," Greyback declared. He ripped it up and pointed to the dead man. "It _is_ him! This man _killed_Astrophel!"

The pack began howling and growling, edging closer to the corpse. Greyback frowned. "Wait!" he bellowed; the pack stopped. "Before I allow you all to rip this man to shreds, we have some business to attend to."

The pack cocked their heads. "What?" one man shouted.

Greyback nodded. "Oh yes," he said. "My children, we need a new Deputy." He waved a hand to McGorgo. "Nephthus has succeeded in avenging Astrophel." The pack hooted. "Yes," Greyback continued, smiling. "So I therefore commend him for his heroic act and appoint him as new Deputy!"

Cheers and cries seemed to erupt from all sides of the forest. Lupin, however, hung his head and rubbed his eyes. Sebastian fell to his knees and proceeded to cry into his hands. The twins turned to each other in horror, their eyes wide with new found worry. There was only one word that could sum up their, as well as Lupin's and Sebastian's, feelings.

_Shit._


	15. Nightmares

**Nightmares**

Lupin, Apollo, and Artemis returned home that night with heavy hearts and spinning heads. They knew something was running afoul in the pack. McGorgo didn't just _happen_ to know _exactly _who killed Astrophel. And he _certainly_ didn't just _happen_ to witness the murder as _soon_ as it happened. He had something to do with the supposed kindly Deputy's death. _That_ was a definite.

The twins sped past Lupin as soon as they entered the shack and stealthily slid down the hatch and into the basement. They sat on the floor, waiting for their guardian to come down and see them. Sure enough, they heard footsteps above them, then the hatch opened and Lupin jumped down.

"Artemis?" he called. "Apollo?"

Artemis flicked her wand and whispered _Lumos._ Immediately, the twins were revealed. A soft blue light cascaded into the room like tumbling water, illuminating the faces of a relieved Lupin and the mischievous twins. He approached them. "There you are," he said. "Come upstairs. I have to tell you something."

They followed him into the dimly-lit living room, where they took seats on the sofa. Lupin lit a fire. The heat blazed against the twins, who removed their overrobes and set them across the sofa's back. Lupin sat in his usual Throne of Remus and leaned in. His face was grave.

"As you both know," he began, his voice soft, "The werewolf Deputy Astrophel Lycorne was murdered last night. Well, McGorgo told Greyback he knew who did it, and killed a Muggle. He brought the body back was coronated as the new Deputy."

The twins tried to act surprised and shocked. Artemis widened her eyes, and Apollo gave a little gasp. Lupin nodded. "I know," he said. "It's shocking."

Artemis perched herself up. "D'you think it was foul play?"

Lupin nodded. "I highly doubt Nephthus knew all of the details by chance," he said, his voice solid and certain. "I think _he_ was the one who killed Astrophel."

Nodding firmly, Apollo added, "He _did_ seem pretty angry when Lycorne was chosen, right?"

"Yeah," Artemis realized, pointing to Apollo in agreement. "He _does_ seem like the type of bloke who'd do such a thing."

Lupin stood up and walked over to the couch, taking a seat in between the twins. He set his arms on the headset, behind the twins' necks. A surge of warmth passed through them, strangely assuring them everything would be okay. Their hearts and minds became calm and soothed. Temporary peace came to the Warwicks in this simple gesture. Apollo sank down in his seat. Artemis drooped her tired head onto Lupin's shoulder. He shuddered, as if he never felt such affection. An aura of awkwardness spread over Artemis. It suddenly vanished, replaced by acceptance and love; Lupin looked down at her and smiled warmly. She gazed up at him and grinned lethargically. Apollo smirked. They felt glad to have such a sapient, caring man as their guardian.

"We have to be very careful now," Lupin warned them. "With McGorgo as Deputy, it's tough to tell what he'll do with his newfound power."

The twins yawned in reply. They hadn't realized how tired they were until now, as they sat in front of the fire with Lupin. Their limbs felt limp and detached. Their minds were wandering. Their eyes teased them with the promise of ethereal lullabies from within. Lupin noticed this and grinned.

"I think it's time you both went to bed."

Groaning and hugging Lupin good-night, they trudged to the underground. "Sweet dreams!" Lupin called after them.

But they'd be anything _but_.

The twins tossed in their sleep. Sweat trickled down their faces. Their eyes rolled in their shut sockets. They twitched, itched, and writhed. Strangely, they shared the nightmare plaguing them. . .

_Apollo and Artemis were standing in a moon-struck clearing. There was no wind, yet the reeds and grasses were swaying. The twins looked down at their shadows and jumped._

_They were wolves._

_Their fearful hands stroked their bodies only to fortunately discover they were human. They looked back at their shadows and saw they were now in homo-sapien shape. They sighed in relief. They looked around at the ethereal landscape. In the distance was a forest that seemed to glow. A starry stream flowed peacefully past their feet. The sky was a twinkling mass of bloodred stars. The land was almost plutonic. Shivering, they looked ahead and gasped. They stepped forward, for their parents were standing in front of them, smiling broadly. They ran to them with open arms._

_"Mum! Dad!" they screeched in unison. They embraced them. They felt warm, like Lupin, then suddenly freezing. They looked up and screamed. Their parents stared down at them, but their faces were shrunken and decayed. Their skin was grey. Their eyes were vividly red. Their teeth, however, was sharp and pointed, like a wolf's. They opened their mouths to speak, casting maggots and worms onto the twins._

_"You failed us," they murmured in unison, their voices like the brushes of swaying reeds. "You failed us." They were still smiling. They stepped towards the twins, who began to recede. Their eyes were wide._

_"No, we didn't!" they shouted. "We swear!"_

_"You failed us. . ." their parents repeated._

_They stepped closer, hands outstretched in yearning and hunger._

_"You failed us. . . ."_

_"No!"_

_The twins shut their eyes, feeling a great pressure envelope them. A strange, divine being forced their eyes to open. The Warwicks found themselves in the forest, surrounded by whispering trees. They saw Lupin standing in front of them. His face was straight and solemn, his wonderful eyes dulled and sad. They reached for him, but he stepped back. Suddenly, he burst into flame. The twins shrieked as their ex-teacher burned. He didn't flinch or scream. He just stood there, his accusing eyes burning the twins' souls. They heard Greyback laugh maniacally, his booming voice echoing off the trees in a reverberating roar._

_Suddenly, a monstrous shadow floated up from the ground and stretched across the now maroon sky. It's brilliant white-blue eyes shot lightning bolts at the twins. A thunderous growl shook their insides. All of the sudden, they looked down at their shadows against the ground and saw they were wolves again. Their hands crept along their faces and shoulders, feeling areas of skin that were as rough as sandpaper. Their pounding hearts skipped a beat as they realized the rough patches of skin were fur._

_They were morphing._

_At first, they felt nothing but blinding pain as their bones stretched and cracked. Fur sprouted from their pores. Sinew twisted, bone crooked. Their eyes became bloodshot. Their faces grew long, lupine snouts. Fangs sprouted from their canines and overlapped their lips. Something bushy sprouted from their rears. Tails. They were growing taller. All of the sudden, it stopped, and all that was felt was the pounding of agitated blood. The twins shook, then looked up at the out of proportion moon and howled. . . ._

The twins shot up, breathing heavily. Their hearts raced. Their eyes were wide. A feeling of dread swept through them. A dark sense of foreboding jeered at their wits. Something bad was coming. Something _terrible._ Something _evil_. The lay back down, the vision of a burning Lupin still lingering in their minds.


	16. A Treacherous Discovery

**A Treacherous Discovery**

A tawny owl glided through the air, it's light-colored feathers rustling in the wind. A cool breeze rushed past it's small, quivering body. The night was clear, the stars and waning moon shining brightly. Civilization beckoned the small creature with temptations of food and shelter. The brave owl ignored them all, for it was on a mission. Attached to it's scaly and lightly feathered leg was a parchment from the Order of the Phoenix. It was a legal guardian form, written and signed by the Minister of Magic, addressed to one Remus Lupin. The owl was told this was an important document, and it had to be extra careful when delivering it because, in the wrong hands, it could blow an entire operation. A particularly nice young witch had privately informed the owl that the mission was doubly dangerous, because if the owl failed, her beloved would perish. She had given the bird a mouse as a good luck charm, then sent it on it's way. The owl was feeling particularly confident about it's mission. It decided it was doing pretty good on time and decided a little snack-stop wouldn't hurt. Chirping, it began to tap into it's extraordinary vision to spot a mouse, or maybe even a vole. There! Scurrying amongst the upturned tree roots and the dead leaves was a mouse. Chirping once more in happiness, the owl folded it's wings and dived. As it drew closer to the doomed mouse, the owl extended it's talons and prepared for the kill.

And that was when McGorgo tackled it.

The werewolf ripped the owl apart as he crashed into it. The bird screeched in agony and then died, falling limply to the ground. McGorgo stood up, wiping off the detached owl feathers. He chuckled. "Well, that was fun."

A small group of five werewolves behind him approached. They were all on a hunting party, led by McGorgo. So far, they had been unsuccessful. They snickered as McGorgo held up the owl in both hands. He grinned.

"Looky wha' Nephy caught!" Morganna cackled.

McGorgo nodded. "It may be small," he said, "but it'll do."

"_Tha_' won't feed da pack!" a silver-haired male werewolf pointed out.

McGorgo shook his head. "No, Octavian, it won't," he said slickly. "But look wha' i's got on i's leg."

Evanna stepped forward, leaning into the owl's bloody leg. "It's a parchment."

She began to reach for it, but Morganna popped out of nowhere and snatched it away. She shot Evanna a vicious look, then opened the parchment.

"I's from the Ministry," she reported. She paused as she scanned the document for any other important names. "_And_ the Order!"

McGorgo snapped his head towards her. His yellow eyes narrowed. "_What?_" he exclaimed. "Read it!"

Morganna cleared her throat, and read:

"_I, Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, hereby give Mr. Remus Lupin the rights to protect Apollo Sol Warwick and Artemis Luna Warwick, and officially recognize him as their legal guardian. May he look after them as if they were his true children. May he protect them from all dangers. May he teach them all he knows, so they may be productive members of a future society._

_"We, the Order of the Phoenix, hereby congratulate Mr. Lupin on his appointment. We wish him the best of luck as he raises Apollo Sol Warwick and Artemis Luna Warwick as his own children. May he and his guarded children cherish each other as if they were truly related. May they live long and well together._

_ Signed,_

_ Rufus Scrimgeour, Prime Minister of Magic_

_ Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_ Alastor Moody_

_ Kingsley Shacklebolt_

_ Elphias Doge_

_Tonks."_

Morganna let the parchment fall to her side. She looked up at McGorgo, who was shivering. A terrible grin had crossed his face.

"Nephy--?"

"I was right," he growled, nearly shaking with excitement, "when I said it'll do."

Evanna frowned. "Why?"

He began to laugh. "_Because_," he sighed. "It's all we need to prove Remus _is_ a _traitor._"

With that, the party immediately returned to the pack, where they presented Greyback with their treacherous discovery.

The twins awoke to the heavy sound of pounding on the tree bark door. Lupin stomped on the floorboards twice, the signal for "Stay put," and coolly sauntered over to the door.

"Who's there?" he yelled, his voice bold and firm.

In response, the door swung open and a wave of werewolves swarmed into the shack and around Lupin. The twins looked up at the cracks between the floorboards to see if they could see what was going on. For safety, Apollo quietly cast, "_Incognatius_." He and his twin were safely hidden as they watched in horror at the events going on above them.

Lupin spun around at the small group of werewolves surrounding him. He recognized Morganna and Evanna, both of whom were licking their lips hungrily. Sebastian was there, his face clouded with anger and betrayal. Lupin's eyes twitched back and forth in his head. Then, the horrible realization came to smack him in the face.

He'd been discovered.

With this realization came an unnerving calm. He took a deep breath, and let horrible, wretched peace grasp him. He saw Greyback step forward, McGorgo tailing him like an eager puppy. Fenrir smirked.

"Little Remus Lupin," he sneered, nearing closer to the wizard. "How did I not know you were in my pack?"

Lupin stood straight and steely-eyed. "When one is so twisted and corrupt, it's hard to notice the good things in the world," he snapped back.

Greyback chuckled. "Oh, Remus. . .always so _moral_," he cooed wickedly. He suddenly frowned. "Let me see your arm."

Unflinching, Lupin held out his "tattooed" arm. Greyback pointed his wand to it, and almost immediately it flowed off of Lupin's arm and splattered onto the floor. Greyback grinned.

"As I thought," he said. "A fake." He looked up at Lupin. "Where are they?"

"Where are who?"

Fenrir's smack echoed throughout the small shack, making the twins flinch. Lupin fell to the ground, but didn't cry out. Morganna smirked.

"Don't play _dumb_ with me, Remus," Greyback hissed, his eyes narrowing. "_Where are the Warwicks?_"

"I don't know."

Fenrir roared, sending a pang of terror to the Warwicks' hearts. The mentally screamed. Greyback kicked Lupin's stomach. He gasped, clutching his belly. "Very well, Remus," he growled. "If you're going to play games, then I think it's time we play along." Lupin looked up at Greyback with hatred flaring in his eyes. Greyback turned to McGorgo. "Take him back to camp. Don't hurt him until I say so. We need a _full moon_."

McGorgo nodded. As half of the werewolves filed out to follow Greyback, the other half stayed with McGorgo. The Deputy took out his wand and pointed it at Lupin. "_Incarcerous!"_

The boom shook the twins' beings as the thin, snake-like ropes tied themselves around Lupin's wrists, ankles, and mouth. As he leaned over to grab some loose ropes to drag the traitor along, he began laughing.

"You have no _idea_ what's in store fer ya, _Loopy_."

He cackled madly, and then left, dragging poor Lupin behind him as he did.

As soon as everyone was gone and far away, the twins rushed upstairs and flung themselves onto the couch.

_Oh no, oh no,_ Artemis moaned. _Lupin!_

_I think I'm gonna be sick_, Apollo gasped.

_What're we gonna do?_ Artemis asked.

Apollo shrugged. _I dunno,_ he said. _Go after him?_

Artemis shook her invisible head. _No. That would be dumb._

_Then what do _you_ propose we do?_

The witch thought for a moment. Finally, she said, _We need to contact the Order somehow._

_How?_

She snapped her fingers. _I know!_ she exclaimed hopefully. _We can go to their headquarters!_

Apollo rolled his nonexistent eyes. _How?_ he repeated.

_Floo powder._

They agreed it was the right thing to do; floo powder was quick and easy. They had used it before, and always arrived to their destinations in the same state as when they left. They began looking around for floo powder, and found some perched in a bowl next to the fireplace. Creeping into the fireplace, they took the floo powder in their free hands. It tingled with agitation and excitement.

_Where's the Order's headquarters?_ Artemis asked her brother.

_I think Lupin said it was Twelve Grimmauld Place._

The twins took their fistfuls of floo powder up high and shouted clearly and loudly,_ TWELVE GRIMMAULD PLACE!_

An emerald flame envelopped the twins, and then they were gone, hope searing their hearts.


	17. The Noble House of Black

**The Noble House of Black**

Artemis and Apollo felt as if they were being flung through space and time at lightning speeds. At the same time, a tremendous pressure pushed down upon them. Their feet felt no base. Though their eyes were shut tight, they could tell bright, green lights were flashing before them. Then, nothing. Everything stopped, and they stumbled out of a fireplace, coughing. Their eyes were covered in soot. The rumble of running feet approached them.

"Who's there?" someone called.

"Show yourself!" another demanded.

Apollo opened his sooty eyes, but everything was blurry. Flicking his wand, he breathed, _Lumos._ He and Artemis became visible; soot-covered, but visible. They began rubbing their blinded eyes. A woman gasped. Heavy footsteps drew nearer to them. The twins felt a towering presence point their wand at them.

"Who are you?" a deep voice growled.

Artemis coughed again. "Please!" she croaked. "It's us!"

"The Warwicks!" Apollo gasped.

There was a silence. "Prove it," the deep voice ordered gruffly.

"Fine," Apollo groaned. "We are Apollo Sol Warwick and Artemis Luna Warwick. We fell off of our brooms during a Death Eater attack whilst petrified. We found Remus Lupin's cabin and took refuge there. We are the ones in the werewolf prophecy--"

"Yer not doin' too well," the deep voice interrupted.

"Wait!" Artemis cried. She looked up, no longer blinded by the soot. She recognized Mad-Eye pointing his staff at them. Tonks and Kingsley stood in the background, staring in wonder at the twins. The room they were in was dark and, for lack of a better word, spooky. The walls were black, as were the floors. On the wall was a large tapestry with faces, names, and dates entangled into what seemed to be willow branches. A few of the faces seemed to be burned off. In brilliant green letters above the faces were the words, "Familiaras Arborus Black." The furniture was old and dusty, it's lovely black velvet dulled and rough. Cobwebs hung in every nook and cranny, though actual spider webs outnumbered these mimicking formations. An aura of melancholy and anger lingered.

"What?" Mad-Eye grunted impatiently.

Artemis gasped for clean air, then shouted, "Remus Lupin is now our legal guardian!"

"It's them!" Tonks exclaimed, stepping in front of them. "Mad-Eye, it's them."

The tough wizard lowered his staff and shuffled away, muttering curses and other unrepeatable words. Tonks turned to the twins, smiling, and extended her hands to them. The Warwicks grasped them as the kind witch pulled them up. They dusted off their clothes. Kinglsey approached. "What're you doing here?" he asked, raising a powerful brow.

"Yeah, shouldn't be with Remus?" Tonks pointed out urgently. A tone of worry echoed in her voice.

The twins ignored her question; they had little time to save Lupin. "We need yer help," Apollo said. Tonks' face drained of all color. Her eyes widened.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly.

"It's Lupin!" Artemis sobbed. "He's been discovered!"

Tonks nearly fell over. Kingsley almost jumped. Even Mad-Eye looked shocked. He tore over to them. "What?" he snapped. "How?"

"We dunno!" Apollo replied, his eyes beginning to tear. "Greyback and McGorgo and other werewolves just kind of burst in and took him!"

At this, Tonks clutched her head. Her jaw went slack. "Oh no," she breathed. "The letter!"

Mad-Eye's electric blue glass eye jolted towards her in urgency. "_You sent our spy the GUARDIANSHIP LETTER?!_" he roared. Tonks sank down onto a moth-eaten black couch and buried her face into her hands. She nodded weakly. Mad-Eye was fuming. His face turned red, his veins popped out from his neck. He berated the guilty witch. The twins looked around, ignoring the awkward situation.

"Where are we?" Artemis asked, not turning to Kingsley, but keeping her eyes focused on the house.

Kingsley began gazing around the room as well. "The noble House of Black," he replied. "This is the Order's headquarters."

The twins remembered Lupin telling them about the House of Black. They shivered. It seemed so long ago that they found Lupin, so long ago when he told them everything. Nostalgia cruelly laughed at them. They thought of Lupin, his smile, his kindness, his bravery. . . .

And then Sirius Black popped into their heads.

They realized this was once his house. With a pang of sad reminiscence, they remembered how he and Lupin were great friends. They wondered what Sirius Black was really like. Lupin had said he was a good man, and they trusted him. They had once imagined him to be a cruel, heartless killer. But standing in his house, with Black heirlooms all around, they suddenly felt different about him. Their curious eyes wandered to the tapestry. They suddenly understood that it was the Black family tree. They searched for Sirius' name, and found it. His face was scorched off of the cloth, as if he never existed.

Kingsley's deep voice interrupted their thoughts. "Did you hear Greyback say anything else?" he asked in a concerned tone. They nodded.

"When Greyback was telling McGorgo to take Lupin back to camp, he told him not to hurt him until he said so, and that they needed a full moon."

A muscle jumped in Kingsley's jaw. "Are you sure?" he asked. The twins nodded. Eyes wide, he turned to Mad-Eye and Tonks. She was crying now. Mad-Eye just sat on the couch like a statue. His electric blue eye moved to point at Kingsley. He looked at him, frowning. "Did you hear that?" Kingsley continued. Mad-Eye nodded.

"It's startin'," he growled. "The next full moon is tomorrow night. The battle'll happen then."

"What should we do?" Kingsley inquired hastily.

Mad-Eye thought for a moment. "They won't understand until they hear the prophecy for themselves." He stood up, his chest puffing out. "Kingsley, take them to the Department of Mysteries. Let them find it."

Kingsley nodded. He turned back to the twins, who stared at him with wide, worried eyes. He could tell they were scared. He knew they were worried about Lupin. He was all they had left now. Taking their arms, he said, "Hold on tight. We have to Apparate."

The twins nodded feebly. Pressing their trembling bodies against Kingsley, they prepared for the uncomfortable feeling of Apparating. "Be careful, Kingsley," Mad-Eye warned. "Keep focused an' alert. And that goes fer you too, Warwicks!"

The smiled weakly, noticing how alike Mad-Eye's advice was to Lupin's, "Keep your wands at the ready." They had no time to thank the wizard, for in a flash of light they had vanished.


	18. The Fortelling

**The Fortelling**

In the blink of an eye, Apollo and Artemis found themselves in a large, column-laced hallway. The floors and walls were made of shiny obsidian stones. They mirrored the twins' and Kingsley's reflections almost perfectly. Torches burned a silvery-blue fire. They looked forward and around, noticing dozens of other fireplaces embedded into the walls. To their far left stood magnificent silver doors. They were twelve feet high, and twisted with spectacular metal designs. Kingsley stepped up, turning his muscular head to make sure the coast was clear.

"Stay close," he whispered.

The twins obeyed, creeping behind him with hesitation and nervousness. At every echoing footstep they spun around, anticipating some Death Eaters lunging at them, or worse. But as they neared the silver doors, they began to calm down a bit. Kingsley was an excellent wizard, and an extremely brave and level-headed man at that. They knew they were safe with him.

They stood in front of the mighty doors, embarrassed to admit they were trembling in the presence of the argent behemoths. Artemis' heart was pounding out of her chest. Apollo was wiping sweat from his upper lip. Even Kingsley looked nervous. Nonetheless, all three put on brave faces as Kingsley traced his wand across the twists and the doors reluctantly opened with an ancient groan. They revealed an immense room of faded darkness and patient destinies. Everything looked undisturbed, even though the twins knew the Department was destroyed the year before by Harry and his friends during a fight against Death Eaters. However, from the light cast behind them, the group could see tall, looming shelves reaching far and wide. They were numbered, littered with cobwebs, and seemed to house thousands of crystal orbs. Gulping, the group stepped forward. Kingsley's wand was immediately bathed in a soft blue light that had gently sparked from the tip. The twins decided to follow. In seconds, their wands also ignited. Kingsley tilted his head towards them.

"C'mon."

He began walking forward. The twins scampered after him in an attempt to stay close to their appointed protector. All of the sudden, the doors began to creak, and a sudden gust of wind befell them. They spun around, only to see the doors shut tight. The twins screamed, which was slightly muted by the echoed roar of the shut doors that pounded throughout the limitless room. Kingsley cursed and shot his hands to cover their gaping mouths.

"Quiet!" he hissed. "We don't know if we're alone!"

Apollo and Artemis understood and nodded. He retracted his hands; the twins took deep breaths. Their hearts, which had been beating like drums, slowed their fast-paced tattoo and returned to their normal beats. Kingsley gave them a quick reassuring look, then turned back around to face the pitch-black hallway.

"Alright," he said in an exhale of breath. "We're looking for row number fifty-seven."

Artemis shrugged. "Then let's go."

The group took off, gliding across the dusty floor. Their robes swept after them like pulsating waves in the sea. They panted heavily, forcing themselves to make haste. Kingsley and the twins reached the row in less than eight minutes. They halted to a stop. Apollo fell over, quickly jumping back up to keep his cool. Artemis rolled her eyes. She looked to Kingsley.

"Now what?"

He furrowed his brow. "You have to get the orb," he told her. "But I forget which one is yours."

Something like a pulse suddenly reached Apollo. His brow fell to a curious height. Everything around him seemed to black out except for a small white ball some six yards down. Everything became silenced except for the blood pounding in his ears. Without turning to Artemis, he asked, "Are you getting this?"

The girl was, indeed, picking up the same sensations. Her brow also furrowed. "I am," she replied. "C'mon."

They started towards the small ball of light, Kingsley at their flanks. The orb got closer and bigger. The pounding in their ears got louder and more orotund. Their surroundings completely disappeared into the darkness; only the orb was visible. Even though they were blind, their hands and feet guided them to the light as if they could see.

Then, nothing.

The pounding stopped, and they could see. They rubbed their eyes to discover their left hands had been unconsciously placed on a crystal ball.

"Take it," Kingsley ordered.

Feeling a sense of wonder overtake them, Artemis and Apollo gingerly extracted the orb from it's place on the dusty shelf. They cradled it in their hands, which began to tingle ever so slightly. All of the sudden, the crystalline sphere lit up, revealing a smeared face. Then, a wispy and feminine voice spoke to them.

"_Two children,_

_One the son of the Sun,_

_One the daughter of the Moon,_

_Shall rise up against the Leader_

_of the pack. _

_Only they can stop him_

_From creating an army of darkness_

_From sacrificing the blood of an outcast_

_For the permission to be granted_

_And the Leader shall fall_

_And the children shall change_

_Only if the children perish_

_Will the Leader succeed."_

The orb then went dark, the sensation in the Warwicks' hands suddenly ceasing. They looked at each other with a shared bewilderment.

"Was that Professor _Trelawny?_" Artemis gasped. Apollo thought for a moment, then nodded. Kingsley answered the amazed twins.

"Fifteen years ago," he began, voice low and solemn, "Sybill Trelawny became possessed by a spirit and spoke this prophecy. The foretold destiny was preserved in this crystal ball by Elphias Doge, who was drinking firewhiskey with her at the time of her possession." He chuckled. "I remember he was quite startled when it happened. Poor fellow nearly cursed Sybill for scaring him when she returned to normal."

The twins continued to stare at ball, trying to decipher it's dark message. A chill blew into them, turning their blood cold. Something sparked in their heads. For some strange reason, they felt as if they had heard the prophecy before. Known it all of their lives. They tried to make meaning out of the macabre message from beyond, speaking their thoughts.

"Well, I'm obviously the Son of the Sun," Apollo announced.

"And I the Daughter of the Moon," said Artemis surely.

"The Leader is Greyback," Apollo deciphered.

"And the outcast must be Lupin!" Artemis figured.

The terrible realization slowly crept into their stomachs and sat there like a cold stone. Artemis and Apollo spun around, eyes wide with terror. "They're gonna _sacrifice him!_" they screeched in unison.

Kingsley, who had not know this part of the prophecy, jumped. "_What?_" he exclaimed. He grabbed the twins' arms, making them almost drop the prophecy. They gasped as he pulled them away, though just managing to return it to it's rightful place. The hurried group ran as fast as they could to the hallway, where they dutifully Apparated back to the House of Black. The twins winced at the horrible pressure as they did, wishing it to be over. As if the pitying Apparition gods were listening, the pressure disappeared almost as soon as it was birthed. They stumbled onto the floor, where Tonks and Mad-Eye stood waiting for their return like loyal hounds. Kingsley was approached by Mad-Eye. The two began talking quietly, discussing his finds. Tonks immediately swooped in and grasped the twins, pulling them over to the couch and sitting them down. They were shaking. Artemis was on the border of hyperventilation. Apollo's face was white. Tonks rubbed their trembling backs, attempting to comfort them. She was no longer weeping, but her eyes were red and puffy.

"Shh," she cooed gently. "It's alright. You're okay now."

The twins shook their heads, tearful eyes staring into a fiery yet melancholic oblivion. Tonks frowned.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice a bit firmer now. Her brow furrowed. Artemis looked up at her and took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Greyback," she breathed, her voice quivering, "is gonna kill Lupin."

"_What?_"

"Greyback," she repeated quietly, "is gonna _kill_ Lupin."

It took a while for Tonks to grasp this. Her mind mulled over the statement, contorting her sanity for a short while. Then she realized: Her beloved was going to die. The mature witch's face became so pale, the twins thought she had died. Her hair turned powder-white. Kingsley and Mad-Eye stomped over. Tonks didn't acknowledge their urgent presence. She was lost in the cruel abyss known as Loss.

"I take it you heard?" Mad-Eye grimaced, his electric-blue eye spinning madly in it's socket. Tonks weakly nodding, her mouth gaping ever so slightly. The twins shut their eyes, took deep breaths, and peace entered their minds. The feebly stood up.

"We have to get ready for the battle," he continued, ignoring Tonks' inability to react. He turned to the twins. "You'll stay the night with us. You'd best ready yourselves, young Warwicks."

Apollo frowned. "Why?"

Mad-Eye leaned in so close, the youthful wizard could feel his hot breath on his cheeks. "You and yer sister," he grumbled, "are in for the fight of your lives tomorrow."

Something sharp hit their hearts and made them skip a beat. Artemis gulped. "And--and what if we don't succeed?"

The electric-blue eye lazily swerved to her. "Then Remus and the entire wizarding world will perish."


	19. Return to the Forest

**Return to the Forest**

That night, the twins slept restlessly. Their dozing minds were racing. Even with their shut eyes, they saw flashes of red, and once of twice heard someone screaming. Their dreams were blank, indifferent spaces of emptiness and chaos. Their heartbeats slowed and quickened in inimitable patterns.

In the morning, the smell of waffles beckoned them to awake and lured them to the kitchen. Wiping their bloodshot eyes, Apollo and Artemis took a seat in near-rotted wooden chairs. They heard Tonks and Mad-Eye muttering to each other in the living room. A fly buzzed lazily around the cabinets. Sunlight flowed into the room, hitting the minuscule dust specks and lighting them up like ethereal fireflies. Someone whispered something under their breath.

"G'morning, Kingsley," Artemis grunted sleepily, assuming the voice belonged to him.

In a rough voice that was like the echo of sand paper rubbing together, someone replied, "I am not the blood-traitor. Mistress would not be pleased if she knew the ignorant child called me a blood-traitor's name."

Artemis frowned, turning to Apollo. Rolling her eyes, she saw he had fallen asleep at the table. She scowled and looked over to the source of the unpleasant voice. Her eyes led her to an iron-cast stove, where something was making waffles. The silver stones in her head widened: they had revealed to her an extremely old house-elf. Standing on a little stool so he could reach the stove, he was three feet tall, but age had distorted his back into a crippling bend. He wore grey, stained rags as clothes. His skin was as wrinkled as a new-born baby's, but not as pretty. His ears were shriveled, and draped the back of his neck like long hair. He had a hawk-like nose. His eyes were cloudy and opaque, yet somehow keen. He was, indeed, the ugliest thing Artemis had ever seen.

"Who're _you_?" she asked him. She had a nascent feeling of resentment towards the antediluvian house-elf. He grumbled some incomprehensible words (Artemis could tell they were not kindly), he turned and grimaced at her.

"The ignorant child dares to address Kreacher?" he inquired icily. "Proud servant in the noble House of Black for many honorable years?"

_Eons, more like_, Artemis thought.

"Er, hi Kreacher," she greeted him nervously, ignoring his poisonous glare. "I'm Artemis." She gestured her sleeping brother. "This snoring lump next to me is my brother, Apollo."

She nudged his shoulder; he woke with a start, lazy eyes swimming in his head. "Huh? Oh, _hey_ Arty! Bea'iful mornin', innit?" He chuckled stupidly. "Yeah. . . .S'gonna be a great day. . ."

Kreacher snorted with distaste and returned to his waffles. He shakily moved them to a cracked plate and brought them to the twins. He gingerly placed it on the table, along with two severely rusted forks.

"Breakfast for the stupid children," he growled. Artemis' eyes narrowed as he shuffled away, mumbling to himself. Frightened to use the rusty forks (she was sure Kreacher had done it on purpose, as a feeble attempt on their lives), the twins just grabbed a waffle each and shifted into the living room, where the Order was discussing the night ahead. Their heads swerved to the twins as they joined them, taking seats on the floor besides the sofa.

"Morning, guys," Artemis said. She took a bite of her waffle. It was hard tasted of smoke. She cringed. Apollo bit into his and recoiled, though it rescued him from his morning stupidity-daze. He blinked, turned to Artemis, smiled, then dove back into to his waffle (he realized it was the only breakfast they'd probably have).

"Morning," Kingsley said curtly, smiling. "Sleep well?"

The twins hesitated. "Erm, yeah," Apollo lied.

"Like logs," Artemis added.

Mad-Eye nodded. "Good," he said gruffly. "Yer gonna need all the energy you can muster up fer tonight."

Tonight. The word sent a wave of dread into the twins, who stopped eating at it's mention. They looked at each other with worry clouding their eyes. Artemis gulped. Apollo shivered, feeling doubtful, until a wave of warmth hit him. With a mental sigh of relief, he realized the sun was bathing him, baptizing him in it's golden glow. Now he could focus on the night ahead.

"Right," he said firmly, his face straightening. "What's the plan, then?"

Kingsley took a deep breath. "Well," he began, "as soon as everyone's ready, we're going to head to Remus' shack"--Tonks gave a little whimper-- "and make our way to Greyback's pack."

"From there," Mad-Eye jumped in, "we'll watch them, see what they're up too, note their actions--"

"Then knock out his guards, steal their hairs, make a polyjuice potion, and sneak in the pack so we can get Remus safely," Tonks said, finishing Mad-Eye's sentence. He scowled. The twins frowned. Something about the plan didn't make sense. They'd get Lupin, but what about them? Mad-Eye had mentioned a battle. They were either keeping something from them, or this was one terrible plan.

"A polyjuice potion?" Artemis asked, shaking off a feeling of dread. "Doesn't that take a few weeks to make?"

Kingsley smirked. "Yes, but we thought about it." He chuckled. "Mad-Eye decided it would be good to always have a polyjuice potion ready, just in case. All we need from the werewolves are a few of their hairs and _voilà!_ The potion is complete!"

Artemis shrugged, content with the plan. Apollo, who was excited about the clever scheme, jumped up. He clenched his fists. "Then what're we waitin' for?" he asked, almost sounding angry. "Let's go!"

Mad-Eye furrowed his brow. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Are you ready?"

The vivacious wizard nodded. He looked to Artemis, who hesitated but stood as tall as she could next to her brother.

Mad-Eye slapped his knees. "Then it's decided," he announced. He turned to Kingsley and Tonks. "One of you fetch the potion. Then, get ready." He frowned, eying them. "You _are_ ready, right?"

The Order hastily nodded. Tonks left them and scurried to the hallway, where the group heard a door click open and the shut. She returned, a small, covered crock pot in her hands. Kingsley took a deep breath. "Alright," he said. "Let's do this."

It was decided Mad-Eye would go to the shack first via floo powder, check if it's okay, then send a speaking Patronus to the Order. After that, Kingsley would take Apollo, and Tonks with Artemis. Mad-Eye left them, swallowed whole by the green fire. Five minutes later, a wolverine Patronus glided into the living room, delivering it's message from the wizard:

"_Shack safe. Continue as planned._"

Kingsley and Apollo then sauntered into the fireplace, each grabbing a handful of floo powder before disappearing into emerald oblivion. Once they were gone, Tonks led Artemis into the fireplace. Her face, the teen witch noticed, was pale and waxy. Tonks' eyes were dull, her eyelids drooping. Her hair, which had returned to it's usual bubble-gum pink color, looked almost faded and was sadly lackluster. She looked older, worn, and tired.

"Hey, Tonks?" Artemis asked softly. "Are, erm, you okay?"

Tonks flinched; she hadn't been paying attention. She looked down at Artemis. "Huh? Oh--oh, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine, Arty." To reassure her, Tonks gave a weak smile. Artemis furrowed her brow. Of course, she didn't believe her. How could she when Tonks looked like a ghost-zombie lovechild?

"C'mon, Tonks," she pleaded sympathetically. "There's something bothering you. What's wrong?"

Tonks hesitated, then sighed. "I'm worried," she admitted, exasperated. "Worried about Remus." She turned to Artemis, her distressed eyes wide with distraught. "What if we don't make it on time? What if Greyback wins? What if Remus. . ."

Her voice trailed off. Her dark eyes began to water. She took a deep breath, and quickly turned away so Artemis wouldn't see the tears falling freely from her eyes. Artemis was taken aback. Tonks was one of the bravest people she knew. She really looked up to her. It was weird seeing her so upset, crying at the mention of her imprisoned beau. She hesitated, then placed a comforting hand on Tonks' back. The witch gave a quick shudder. She wiped her face, then swerved to Artemis.

"Don't worry," Artemis assured her. "Re--Lupin'll be fine. We'll make it on time. We'll get 'im. And we'll sure as _hell_ make Greyback and McGorgo pay."

For some strange reason, the girl's gut twisted as she said this. Something vile had slithered into her conscience. She gulped. Her blood turned cold and began playing orotund drum solos on the floor tom within her ears. She breathed in deeply, her breath quivering ever so slightly. She hated to admit it, but something inside of her was refusing to believe her words.

Doubt had made it's way into Artemis' being.

It was fueled by worry, but nonetheless she had a hard time believing it, albeit she really wanted to. She tried her hardest not to reveal this to Tonks, who had taken her words quite well.

"You think so?"

Artemis nodded. "I _know_ so," she replied, smiling.

Tonks nodded quickly, exhaling. "Right," she said firmly, recollecting herself. "We should go. I can practically hear Mad-Eye screaming at us."

The Warwick girl grinned. Tonks smiled back, then shouted to the empty hallway, "Kreacher! We're heading out! Keep an eye out on the house! Don't let anyone in! And for the love of God, _STAY OUT OF MY CLOTHING!_"

Artemis frowned, wondering what Tonks had meant by that. (She decided she didn't really want to know.) She heard the malevolent elf quietly and sarcastically reply, "Kreacher does what the ungrateful blood-traitor wench asks for."

Rolling her eyes, Tonks grasped Artemis' hand and both of them threw down the floo powder, screaming, "_Remus Lupin's shack!_"

In the blink of an eye and a flash of green, they were gone. The pressure squeezed them in all directions and angles. Then, they were spewed from a fireplace. Tonks and Artemis staggered from the in-wall hearth, coughing. Heavy footsteps thundered towards them as they wiped themselves of soot. Artemis looked up and saw Mad-Eye, red-faced, tearing towards them.

"What _took_ you?" he hissed, voice dripping with venom.

Tonks shrugged. "Sorry," she apologized. "Kreacher."

Artemis guessed he was used as an excuse often, for Mad-Eye grunted and walked away as if he accepted it. Artemis rubbed the soot from her eyes and looked around. The shack was so familiar to her; it was great to be back. Then, a pang of sorrow: it was missing it's foundation. Lupin. Her spirits hung even lower. Tonks strolled to the table and set the polyjuice potion down. She turned to the Order and the twins. "So," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "We go to the forest now?"

Mad-Eye nodded. "Before we go, though, there's been a change of plan."

Tonks frowned. "What? So I brought that pot fer _nothing_?"

Kingsley grinned. "Sorry. Apollo was telling us about a spell Artemis invented that seems to be pretty useful," he replied.

Something fluttered inside Artemis' chest. The Order was going to use _Incognatius_? She felt honored. Her eyes drifted over to Apollo, who winked at her, as if to say, "I've got your back." She nodded to him in thanks.

"Really?" Tonks raised her brow, turning to Artemis. "How does it work?"

The witch smirked. "Basically," she began, all too happy to explain her spell, "it makes one become invisible and untraceable. You can still talk, but you can't use magic 'cause it'll reveal you."

It seemed like such a long time since she had seen Tonks grin broadly. "Yer a clever one, you know that?"

Artemis beamed.

Mad-Eye's gruff voice intervened. "So the new plan is: We cast this spell and sneak into the camp. If we see Remus, one of us will hide behind a tree and cast the spell at him, thus making him invisible." He motioned Apollo. "According to the boy, people under the influence of _Incognatius_ can see each other while others free of it cannot. Remus'll be able to see us and we'll get him out of here. This way, Greyback won't have his destined outcast to sacrifice, which means the Warwicks won't have to fight." He clapped his hands. "The pack will fail, Lycaon won't rise, and all will be well."

Apollo frowned and looked to Artemis without moving his head. She did the same. _Who was Lycaon? _

Their thoughts were interrupted by Tonks, who chuckled. "I like this plan. When do we leave?"

Before Mad-Eye could respond, Artemis blurted, "We all have to hold hands."

Furrowed brows and confused eyes all turned to her in a rush. She felt her face grew hot and she shrank back behind Apollo. Kingsley cocked his head. "That's weird," he said flatly.

"I'm sure we can find a way to cast it without holding hands," Apollo said for his sister, assuring the Order they'd all be spared from the embarrassing event. His voice had strangely deepened, she noticed. It was warmer and more paternal. "Here," he added, removing his wand from his robes. "I'll cast the spell on you, and we'll see how it works without holding hands."

Kingsley hesitated, but agreed. He stood in the center of the shack, nostrils flaring. "Alright," he said. "Hit me."

Apollo pointed his wand at the wizard. "_Incognatius!_"

Much to everyone's pleasant surprise, Kingsley disappeared. Artemis let out a snort of cheer. Apollo grinned coolly, fiery hair blazing in the intruding sunlight. Tonks' jaw dropped. Mad-Eye, on the other hand, showed no emotion. With a _pop_, Kingsley reappeared, smiling widely.

"Woah," he breathed.

"Well, now we know we don't have to hold hands," Apollo said happily (he didn't think he wanted to hold hands with Mad-Eye, who most likely didn't want to hold hands with him either). "This is great."

Mad-Eye grunted in agreement (which Apollo thought was a little weird). "Indeed," he growled. "I guess you'll be wantin' ta cast the spell when we meet Remus?"

Apollo shrugged. "I don't mind. Sure."

The gruff wizard nodded. "Then it's decided. We'll cast it and go find Remus," he announced. He turned to the Order. "Ready?"

The Order of the Phoenix nodded and raised their wands. Apollo and Artemis followed. With a powerful, deafening roar like a lion's before the hunt, the band bellowed, "_Incognatius!_"

A pleasant, warm sensation befell them all. They vanished. If one were to step into one of their shoes, they would see their company had turned a ghostly shade of blue and were emitting a foggy blue glow. But they didn't care about that. At the moment, they cared about getting Lupin safe. For a second they marvelled at the spell's effects. It was short lived: Mad-Eye ordered them to move out, and they did, unconsciously forming the V-shape they had once used in the sky.


	20. When the Torches Go Out

**When the Torches Go Out**

The Order and the Warwicks trudged through the forest, keen on staying together. Tonks marveled at the fact that they left no footprints. Artemis grinned at this. She looked to Apollo. He was steadily breathing in and out, the golden rays of the sky blessing him with bravery and power. He felt her stare and looked over, smirking.

_Nervous?_ he asked playfully.

She shook her head. _Not at all_. She paused, hesitating. _Alright. Maybe a little._

_S'alright,_ Mad-Eye said from afar, not looking away from his path. _Keeps yeh on yer feet._

Feeling triumphant, Artemis stuck her tongue out at her brother, who shrugged. Grinning, she turned to Tonks, whose eyes darted back and forth. She was shaking, and her knuckles were completely white, as they were tightly clenched shut. One of them was wrapped around her wand like an anaconda around it's prey. She drifted to her side.

_You okay?_

Tonks looked up, smiling sadly. _I thought we had this conversation already._

Artemis chuckled.

_You look troubled. I take it you're worried about Lupin?_

Tonks nodded. _You know me,_ she said flatly. _I wouldn't be able to live without him. I mean, I know we'll get him back, but--I dunno. I'm getting worked up, y'know? I want to believe he'll be alright, but something inside of me is doubting it._

Artemis frowned. The fact that Tonks was feeling doubtful unnerved her. She was losing faith. Apostasy was consuming her. She hated that the pink-haired witch had the same sinking feeling that she knew it all too well. Not knowing how to reply, she looped her arms around Tonks'. The distressed witch received the girl's comforting message; she exhaled deeply and relaxed.

The group hiked on, twisting their nonexistent arabesques around foreboding trees and treacherous, upturned roots. Nimbus clouds lethargically drifted in the sky. The band noticed they all seemed to be headed for one spot. As they realized where that was, a shiver slowly crept up the Warwicks' spines. They wrestled feelings of fright and agitation back. Something like wind howled through the branches, haunting their ears and disturbing them. Everyone shivered. It was then the Warwicks knew it was no wind they heard.

It was a cacophony of howls.

They had found the pack.

_We're here,_ Artemis announced grimly. The group stopped on the ledge overlooking the clearing. Their eyes widened; Tonks gasped. The area was filled with writhing, pulsating werewolves, dancing to wild drums beats. They shrieked madly as they danced, some appearing to be having fits on the leafy ground. Torches that were to be lit later were set up around the area. Atop the giant rock was Greyback. Artemis narrowed her eyes at the man, hoping to send a tremor of fear through his being. Standing proudly next to him was McGorgo. Apollo grasped his wand tightly, fire running through his veins. There stood the man who ruined their lives. There stood the man was going to sacrifice Lupin with Fenrir.

There stood the man he was going to kill.

Deep down, the furious teen knew he had to control his emotions. The sun was still out, fueling his anger with seductive golden light. But Apollo struggled inside, for the sake of his sister and the Order, to resist the temptation to kill McGorgo right then and there and blow their cover. He groaned, his lips curling back. The twins spotted Morganna and Evanna dancing together, if that's what one could call it. Their "dance" consisted of the two flailing their limbs around as if they were insane, rolling their eyes to the back of their heads, and whooping madly. Their eyes searched for Lupin, but he wasn't there. Hearts pounding, they flung around.

_Where is he?_ they demanded, eyes wide with youthful worry.

_He should be here!_ Tonks breathed, her eyes transforming into two dark holes of disappointment, pain and longing.

Mad-Eye stepped forward, surveying the scene. His electric-blue eye spun around it's socket, trying to get a clearer picture of what was going on. He groaned and turned back to the Order.

_Of course! _he exclaimed angrily. _They need a full moon! It's only eleven in the mornin'! WE'RE TOO BLOODY EARLY!_ Snarling, he stomped away. Kingsley looked back at their leader. Mad-Eye glared at them over his shoulder, then quickly turned away. It was apparently the signal for him to take control.

_Alright,_ he sighed. _I guess the only solution here is to sit and wait._

_For how long?_ Apollo challenged him, his ready eyes narrowing.

Kingsley shrugged. _I guess until the sun starts setting. _

With no better plan, that's exactly what they did. Reluctantly, they all sat around, awaiting for the right time to move in.

The sky transformed into numerous shades of blue over the course of the wait. Light blue, turquoise, dark blue. The approaching nimbus clouds crept closer, like giant black dust bunnies after being swept away by a broom. The temperature dropped as the marching, firmament-bound phalanx readied for their appearance. A freezing gale danced with the tree branches, leading them in a swaying waltz. Dead leaves not yet decayed were pushed aside. Somewhere in the distance, a raven cawed.

The pack became wilder at every passing hour, knowing that soon enough they'd be in full control. McGorgo had long since joined in the celebration, prancing madly with Morganna. Evanna danced with another male werewolf with black hair. Greyback disappeared every now and then behind his rock, wiping his hands and licking his lips. The pack's pulsations were like waves in the sea.

As the sun sank lower into the sky, something began to happen other than terrible dancing. The pack moved away from the center of the clearing. Five older werewolves dressed in long, blood-red robes shuffled through the crowd, clutching of stones of numerous sizes in their arms. Apollo, who had been leaning up against a rock for the past four and a half hours, watched this. His brow furrowed; he frowned. _What _are_ they doing? _Not taking his concerned gaze away from the scene, he nudged Artemis. She had been sleeping ever since one-thirty in the afternoon. Her knees were curled up to nearly her chin, and her shivering arms wrapped themselves around them. Sluggishly, she lifted her head and blinked.

_Wha'?_ she asked, rubbing her sleep-crusted eyes. Apollo pointed to the older werewolves holding stones.

_Look._

Artemis sat up and watched, transfixed, at the werewolves. The seniors began setting the stones down in what appeared to be a circle. One-by-one, they gingerly placed the stones in their precise places, each making sure their aligning and angle was perfect. Artemis frowned. Her brow fell. _What're they doing?_ she inquired.

_By the looks of it,_ Apollo replied dryly, _they're making a circle._

The girl looked up at the sky, which had become a melange of different colors--orange, scarlet, violet, navy, pink, turquoise, and yellow. It was dusk. She gasped. Feeling a rush of hurried anxiousness, she spun to Apollo. _They must be readying for Lupin's sacrifice!_ she exclaimed.

Apollo's eyes rounded. Quickly, he looked back at the werewolves. They had finished making their stone circle. Now each of them took out their wands and held them high in the air. Pointing at the ground, they bellowed a spell the twins couldn't hear. Almost immediately, a rumbling soared through the air. It grasped the heads of the pack and the Order and pulled them towards it. Every single being watched in fascination as a large, stone table began emerging from the ground.

_The sacrificial table,_ Mad-Eye snarled.

As soon as the table was birthed, the pack cheered and went back to their dancing. The Order and the Warwicks looked up at the sky. It was darker, a few stars bravely poking out through the navy veil. They had little time. Mad-Eye swore.

_Right, _he decided. _I think we should stop waiting and start looking._

They agreed.

_We should start behind Fenrir's rock,_ Artemis suggested. _He's always disappearing back there._

_Good idea_, Kingsley said. _Let's move._

The group crept around the clearing, where the cliff evened out and eventually flattened. Artemis felt the chill of nascent power overtake her. A warmth pumped through her veins. She shivered. Being used to this feeling by now, she ignored it and focused on their mission.

They reached the giant rock quickly and hid behind a few bushes. Two werewolves stood behind it. Spaced apart, the righteous band realized they were _guarding _something.

_It's a door,_ Mad-Eye said.

Indeed it was, for Greyback suddenly walked out of the space. It shimmered as he did so. The guards followed him, protecting their powerful leader from any assassins. Taking this as their sign to go, the Order and the Warwicks rushed to the space and walked through. There were steps the led to the underground. The way was lit with torches and stank of dog. Seeing this as an opportunity to find Lupin, the group hurried down the stairs. Apollo counted the flights in his head.

_One._

_Two._

_Three._

At the end of the stairwell was a small room with a wooden door, illuminated by blazing torches bright. Hearts pounding, they looked to Mad-Eye to open the door. He reached for the handle, grasped it, and pulled. The Warwicks and Tonks held their breaths. The door swung open and revealed a dimly-lit room. The secret of the rock and Greyback's vanishings became all too clear. Underneath the rock was a dungeon. There were three cells on each side. The roof of the dungeon was carved from the base of the rock and was the home of many spiders; their webs hung limply like broken limbs. There was a small wooden table in front of the second cell on the right. A lonely wand sat on it. At the end of the room was a rack of torture instruments. There were thumb screws, iron boots, and a variety of spikes, spears, knives, and daggers. Tonks gasped, tears beginning to plummet from her eyes. The instruments were blood-stained. One of the spears was covered in fresh blood.

Greyback's macabre activities here were discovered in this chthonic, subterranean hellhole.

The group entered the room, shutting the door behind them. There were no guards, much to their happiness.

_I need to be visible,_ Tonks announced firmly, her voice trembling. Kingsley hesitated. He looked to Mad-Eye, who nodded.

_Go ahead_.

A light sparked from Tonks' wand, and a soft blue light was cast. Her comrades followed. Kingsley stood by the door, guarding it in case someone came by. They watched as Tonks frantically ran to each of the cells, sticking her blazing wand into each of them. At each empty cell, her face contorted into an pitiful mixture of pain and agitation. Artemis began to lose hope. _What if he's not here?_ she thought to herself. A coldness swept through her. She gulped. The Order and Apollo had similar thoughts. Loss of faith became as common as the spiderwebs that draped the ceiling in a criss-cross veil. They wanted Lupin to be here, but maybe he wasn't. Maybe Greyback anticipated a rescue team and moved him somewhere else? They didn't want to think about this, after they had risked so much time to get here. They pushed the mocking thoughts back to the furthest corners of their minds. Only Tonks had hope. Only she believed they still had a chance to find Lupin. The others were ashamed of their loss of hope. They didn't regain it until Tonks reached the last cell, thrusting forward her wand. A smile crossed her face.

"I found him," she said quietly. She laughed aloud. "_I found him!_"

Hearts leaping, Mad-Eye and the twins rushed to her side. The blue light softly illuminating the cell confirmed her claims.

Lupin was there.

He lay in the corner, bruised and bleeding. His chest lightly rose and fell in shallow breaths. He was unconscious, but alive, and that's all that mattered. Apollo's face lit up. Artemis' jaw dropped and she began shaking, trying to stifle a shout of pure joy. Even Mad-Eye grinned. Tonks stepped back from the cell door and shouted, "_Bombarda!_"

The door exploded into a thousand different fragments. Mad-Eye and the twins lifted their arms up in front of their faces, shielding them from the storm of sharp, broken metal fragments. Tonks sped through the gaping hole left by the deceased door and fell to Lupin's side. She stroked his hair.

"Remus. . ."

She hugged him, cradling him close to her. She wept on his shoulder. Mad-Eye moved forward. "Tonks," he said. "I need to pick him up. Move aside."

Nodding, she quickly kissed Lupin's forehead and moved away from him. Artemis went to her, smiling broadly. Tonks sighed in relief. The two hugged. Mad-Eye scooped up Lupin's unconscious body and gently flung him over his shoulders. They left the cell (Tonks quickly grabbed the wand on the table, assuming it was Lupin's), following Mad-Eye to the door where Kingsley stood. As soon as the guarding wizard saw Lupin, he smiled and laughed.

"Fantastic!" he chortled.

"Yeah," Mad-Eye growled. "Let's get out of here."

"Apparate?"

"What d'you think?"

The twins scurried to the sides of Kingsley and Tonks as they and Mad-Eye raised their wands and whispered, "Apparate!"

A few seconds passed, and the Order was still there. No flash of light enveloped them. No suffocating pressure caressed them. They frowned.

Nothing happened.

Mad-Eye swore so loudly, Kingsley and Tonks covered the ears of the twins. "Of course the bastards would make _Apparate_ useless here!" he roared. He groaned. "_Incognatius_ it is, then."

Suddenly, the a cold wind blew into the dungeons. All of the torches went out, casting the Order into complete darkness. A light bravely tipped Apollo's wand. Heart pounding in his throat, he directed it to the door. What he and the others saw sent them further into the dark oblivion they were already in, devouring their hopes and plucking out their hearts.

Fenrir Greyback was standing in the doorway, McGorgo snickering behind him.

"Oh," he growled, chuckling wickedly. "I believe leaving is far out of the question."


	21. The Protectors

**The Protectors**

The last thing Artemis remembered before everything went black was Greyback's face, and then Mad-Eye ordering Kingsley and Tonks to draw their wands. He had given Lupin to she and Apollo and forced them back with the brush of a muscular arm. She had insisted she and Apollo could fight, but he refused and demanded that they watch Lupin. Fenrir said there was no need for a fight. They were outnumbered. Then, almost immediately after he prophesied this, there was a sound of running feet that echoed throughout the dungeons. He was suddenly backed by twenty or so werewolves. The Order, realizing they were outnumbered, had dropped their wands and held their hands on high.

"I'm sorry," Mad-Eye breathed to the twins.

That was when Greyback's army marched into the dungeon, and when the twins felt a blow to their heads. They crumpled to the ground, Greyback's cruel, mirthless laughter echoing in their ears.

She woke up, head pounding, pinned up against the rock. A blinding light smacked Artemis' eyes as she opened them. She moaned, her head feeling like it had been cracked open and now some idiot was trying to stitch it back, pulling their needle through the bone. Her temples throbbed. Her ears were ringing so loudly; it took a while for the horrid, inner tintinnabulation to die down. When they and her eyes adjusted to their surroundings, Artemis nearly screamed.

She was surrounded by the entire pack.

They snickered and laughed, licking their red lips longingly. They were edging closer, but something was holding them back. Artemis had never been more scared in her life. Looking into the packs' eyes, she only saw cold black pits that were filled with hunger. Her heart pounded; her blood turned cold. She went numb. Thoughts of doom plagued her mind as beads of sweat dripped down her ghostly face. Pictures of her parents from her shared dream with Apollo popped in and out of her head. They only agitated her further. Frantically, she looked around. Her wrists were tied together like a pinioned bird, the ropes swung all the way over the rock. She pulled on them, but they only tightened. Limbs aching, she tried to find the others. Apollo, much to her relief, was hung by her right side. Mad-Eye was suspended limply next to him. On her left was Tonks, who sported a black eye and a scratch across her cheek. Kingsley dangled next to her. She held her breath, nerves maddening. Were they alive? And _where _was Lupin? She nudged Apollo.

"Apollo," she breathed. "Wake up."

He lightly swung back and forth, not stirring. Artemis bit her lip. Her eyes began to fill with tears. She nudged him again.

"Apollo?"

He still didn't move. Her eyes spilled over. _No. . ._

A groan escaped someone's lips. Artemis flinched, turning her head slowly towards Tonks. She was still unconscious. . . .Or dead? Breathing heavily but steadily, she turned to Apollo. Her heart leaped.

"Apollo!"

The wizard was shaking his head like a dog (and making the same sounds) as when they do when they've just woken up. His eyes were shut tight; Artemis guessed the same hurtful light cruelly greeted him with it's annoying presence.

"Ugh," he moaned. "Wha' _happened?_"

He felt terrible. His head throbbed, like it was about to split open. His cheeks hurt. He felt a sting and then something drip down. Blood. Someone had scratched him. Scowling, he tried to pull away, but, like Artemis, he was only cursed with the tightening of the rough-threaded rope. His wrists burned. His eyes teared up. His heart pounded with a fear he'd never felt before. He began the breath too deeply, too quickly. His head spun; he was getting dizzy.

_Calm DOWN, man!_

The voice echoed loudly in his head, and it took a few seconds for it to die down. Taking the anonymous voice's advice, Apollo's breath became shallow and slow. He could feel his nerves numbing and calming. He begrudgingly decided to open his eyes. Preparing himself for horrible sights and an even more horrible light, he counted to three and opened them.

The light came, once more, striking his eyes like a lightning bolt. He cried out, sucking air through gritted teeth. The light disappeared, lurking around for the next poor victim to arouse. Apollo's eyes adjusted to the scene. He held his breath. His blood ran cold, for he had awoken to see the entire werewolf pack glaring at them. They cackled.

"Wha's the matter, boy?" someone sneered. "_Scared?_"

The entire pack howled with laughter. Apollo's heart started racing again. His eyes widened to a tremendous size. With a quick snap of the head, he turned to Artemis.

"_What the bloody hell are we doing here?!_" he hissed so the pack wouldn't here.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Hm, let's see. . .Oh, _yes_! It _probably_ has something to do with us rescuing Lupin, and _then _Fenrir catching us underneath the rock, and--Oh! _Maybe_ his henchmen knocking us out!" She scowled. "_That's_ what we're doing here!"

Apollo grimaced. He was about to tell his sister off until he realized the moon was almost out, and yet already filling her with it's fetal power. With a pang of understanding, he remembered that day when they first met Lupin, and he had almost killed him. Crestfallen, he sighed. "Artemis--"

"Look who decided to wake up!" someone exclaimed, cutting off Apollo. The twins turned to see Fenrir gracefully striding towards them. McGorgo trailed behind the chief werewolf with his chest puffed out and his head as bloated as ever. Greyback wore long, white robes with blood red designs twisting in the thread. His claws, it was noticed, were sharpened to a deadly and fantastic point. Apollo felt a jolt of fear go through him. Artemis, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes.

"Greetings, O gracious king," she growled mockingly, dipping her head in satirical obeisance. "How thankful we are that you grace us with your shining presence! What an _honor!_" she added, voice dripping with venom.

McGorgo's lip curled. "Your insolence shows your weakness, girl!" he spat.

Greyback placed a powerful arm in front of him. "Silence, Nephthus," he ordered. "We must be _polite_. This is our first introduction." His horrible eyes darted to the twins. "So," he began, slowly approaching them, "these are the Warwicks?" He chuckled. "I thought you'd be much smarter."

"Smarter?" Apollo asked, and immediately regretted he did so. Greyback nodded.

"Of course," he replied softly. "Only _idiots_ would attempt to free my prisoner from my inescapable dungeons!"

The pack laughed along with their leader. Artemis didn't find it funny.

"Why don't you go lock _yourself_ down there, Greyback?" she suggested darkly. "_Then_ we'll tell yeh if it's inescapable or not."

The laughing stopped. Greyback's eyes narrowed and in a flash, his clawed hand was around her throat. Apollo shouted at him to stop, his free legs kicking the werewolf. The leader ignored it and tightened his grip. Artemis could feel little drops of blood trickle down her neck as his claws dug into her flesh. Her air pipes weakened.

"You will show me _respect_," he hissed. With his free hand, he drew a finger up one of the bloody rivulets. Her muscles tensed. He licked his sanguineous finger and grimaced. "Yeuch. _Sour._"

The entire pack hooted and screamed with cruel cachinnation. He released her neck, throwing her head on an angle. She coughed for breath, feeling her hatred increase at every step the man took to walk away.

"Are you alright?" Apollo asked his sister. She nodded, not taking her poisonous glare off of Greyback.

"_Lupin_," she croaked. Comprehending her statement, Apollo bobbed his head.

"Where's Lupin?" he demanded solidly. Even though the sun was still setting and he could feel his power fading, the boy knew he had to be brave. If meek little Artemis could stand up to Greyback, why couldn't he?

Greyback turned his head to the wizard. At the lycanthrope's steely and stinging gaze, Apollo could feel his valor drain and his body tremble. When he started towards the young wizard, his soul filled with dread. When he stood in front of the boy in all of his menacing glory, Apollo could've sworn he saw Death put a bony hand on Greyback's shoulder. He gulped.

"Where--where's Lupin?"he repeated, a little less firmly.

Greyback grinned. His teeth were grey and a tad bit pointy. His eyes gleamed an unearthly yellow. Apollo could feel his hot breath on his neck, taste the meat that Greyback had earlier, and smell his fetid exhalation. He cringed.

"You want to see your friend?" he asked, tilting his head in wicked innocence. "Little Remus Lupin?"

"Stop playing games!" Artemis gnarled, her lip curling. "_Where. Is. He?_" Her silver eyes blazed with such malice, Apollo thought Greyback would burn up into ashes right then and there.

A guttural laughter softly spewed from Greyback's sinewy throat. He turned to his pack, a haughty grin smeared across his face. He raised his arms, two hundred or so rainbow eyes following his every move as if he was a god. "Clear a path down the middle!" he ordered. "Our guests would like to see their friend!"

The acolytes obeyed, moving back to form a path down the center. The hearts locked inside the twins' chests began beating out of control. Tonks, who had been unconscious the entire time, suddenly stirred. "Ugh. What _happened?_"

"Tell ya in a minute," Artemis breathed, eyes stuck fast on the forming path. They watched as the path was finished. It was fifteen feet wide and flowed all the way to the very center of the clearing. All the way down to the stone circle. . .to the sacrificial table. . .

. . .where Lupin lay, his wrists and ankles tied and spread. Tonks screamed. She shouted his name. Apollo stared at him with a gaping mouth. He looked so still, so peaceful. Was he dead? Artemis' eyes widened, pure horror exhibited perfectly in them. She spun her head to Greyback.

"_What in God's name did you do to him?_"

The devil chuckled. "Oh, nothing. _Yet._"

Artemis spat at his feet.

He took no notice. "Once the sky turns black, we shall begin the Rite of Blood. During this most holy ceremony, we shall spill all of Remus' blood and then"--his claws elongated to a frightening length and sharpness-- "our lord Lycaon shall rise, and you shall be too late."

Unintentionally, the twins' eyes upturned to the quickly-darkening sky. In a matter of minutes, it would be black, and Lupin dead. They looked towards Lupin. They couldn't let this happen! He was their protector, their friend. They loved him. How could they live without him? Right after they lost their parents? As they gazed at his cold, torn body, the twins saw with a jolt that he looked small, weak, vulnerable. Suddenly, they realized something.

It was their turn to protect him.


	22. The Rite of Blood

**The Rite of Blood**

After what seemed like an eternity, the sky blackened. Stars opened their sleepy, luminescent eyes and blinked. The moon was quickly rising, but was not at an angle to cause any transformations yet. Kingsley and Mad-Eye awoke. The twins had asked them who Lycaon was. After he was finished throwing curses at the werewolves (the twins didn't recognize half of the ones he yelled), Mad-Eye responded with: "He was the first werewolf in history. He used to be a king in Greece, and held a dinner at his palace. To this dinner, the gods themselves came in disguise. He recognized Zeus and foolishly decided to serve him human flesh. Zeus was so outraged he turned Lycaon into a wolf." Apollo and Artemis realized he was the one who would grant Greyback's pack permission to invade the earth. A shiver went down their spines.

McGorgo strut towards them. He had a broad smirk worn across his face. The Order and the twins felt their hate rise to a whole new level. All five of them glared at the approaching Deputy, their eyes small balls of fire in which inhabited little men who shot blazing arrows at him. Unfortunately, it seemed he was wearing full-length body armor comprised of the following elements: water, euphoria, vainglory, and way too much wine.

"Well, it's almost time," he said. "In a bit, you and--hiccup!--yer lit'le friend will be--hiccup!--_dead_!"

"Yer an asshole," Mad-Eye growled. "D'you know that?"

The Deputy leaned in, chuckling. "I'm not tied up, _am_ I?"

With that, he laughed madly and walked away. Artemis shook her head.

"He's mental," she grumbled.

Before anyone could respond, a deafening roar clouded the air. Apollo cringed. "Wha' _is_ that?" he asked over the terrible sound.

Kingsley looked at the sky, then to the pack. They had begun howling, gathering around the stone circle. To maintain their cruelty, the path to Lupin was still visible. He sighed. "The pack," he replied gravely. "It means the Rite is about to begin."

Tonks spun her head towards the stone circle, her eyes saucer-like. "No. . ."

The group watched in horror as Fenrir approached the circle, an obsidian dagger in his hand. It gleamed with evil and hunger. McGorgo followed him, standing loyally by his side when the leader took his place. The pack hooted and screamed, jumping up and down, rocking back and forth. Greyback went to the sacrificial table's side. He gazed down at Lupin's limp body. A smirk appeared on his red lips. Artemis' lip curled. Power and anger built up inside of her. She had the urge to run up there and punch Greyback right in the face. She clenched her shackled fists, so much so, that her veins lifted from her arms and became frighteningly visible. She glanced up at the sky. The moon was in the perfect place for her to gain it's power. She had an idea. She strenuously moved her hands to grasp the ropes that held her battered body up. Apollo turned to her, his brow furrowing.

"What the bloody hell're you doing?" he asked.

She tensed her body. "Just watch."

With a groan, Artemis pulled on her ropes with all her her might. The Order turned to look in her direction; Kingsley's jaw dropped. Tonks' face paled. Mad-Eye's normal eyes widened a bit.

"C'mon, girl!" he hissed, realizing what she was trying to do. "You can do it!"

She concentrated on breaking the ropes. Her heart pounded in her ears. Sweat dripped down her red face. Everything became suddenly muted and fuzzy. She felt something burn her skin, and smelled smoked. Her wrists ached, her arms throbbed. She almost cried out.

Then, nothing.

She felt the leafy ground smack her face with a soft blow. Dirt leaped into her open mouth. She gagged, earth slowly crawling into her throat. She coughed, shook her head and shakily stood up. Her eyes drifted to the pack and Greyback. Surprisingly, no one paid any attention. They were all caught up with the fast-approaching Rite that they had forgotten about the five prisoners hanging on the rock. She grinned and turned to the others. Their faces wore masks of disbelief and hope. Apollo grinned an open-mouth gape. How had she _burned_ the ropes off of her? He was fascinated, amazed.

"Right," she whispered. "Now what?"

"Against the wall!" Mad-Eye breathed. "Now!"

Confused but willing, Artemis quickly pressed her body against the uncomfortable rock and lifted her arms above her head so it would seem she was still tied. She saw McGorgo glance over at them, then look back to his leader. "What now, Chief?" she asked Mad-Eye.

"Our wands," he replied.

She frowned. "How'll I conjure wands _without_ a wand?"

"Just hold out yer hand and say, '_Accio our wands!_'"

"Are you sure it'll work?"

"Look," Kingsley chimed in, urgency dripping from his voice. "The moon is in a perfect position! Take the chance!"

That sinking feeling of doubt burned the pit of her stomach. She looked at her comrades. They all depended on her to set them free. She hesitated and glanced to the side. What if it didn't work? She'd be forced to manually search for them, and by the time she found them it would be too late. She took a deep breath, her silver eyes sliding back to the Order and Apollo. She nodded. Moving with the grace of a cat, she compressed herself against the rock and raised her arms. Again, she saw McGorgo slither his grotesque ophidian eyes towards the hostages. Artemis held her breath. The malicious orbs held their poisonous and arrogant glare for a few seconds, then moved back to Greyback. She exhaled deeply.

"Stupid prat," she growled, dropping her arms.

She looked up at the firmaments. The moon was indeed clear and full, a magnificent luminescent sphere smiling upon the mercurial landscape. A cold breeze shifted in the air. Artemis held up her hand to the sky, stretching it. She narrowed her eyes in a concentrating gaze.

"_Accio our wands!_" she hissed.

The screams of the pack became louder and louder. The torches crackled. The temperature seemed to drop even further, the chill of a future snow in it's presence. Artemis looked around. No wands flew to greet them. The only things seen were the rambunctious pack. Nothing happened. Her heart sank. The doubt in her stomach cheered victoriously. An owl hooted mournfully for her failed effort. Crestfallen, she turned to the Order. They too hung their heads in lost hope. Apollo stared at her with sympathetic eyes.

"You alright?" he asked.

Artemis looked up at him, and nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm f--_ow!_"

Something slammed the back of her head, causing her to smack her head up against the rock. Pain exploded into her head; she grit her teeth as four more things whizzed passed her. She sucked in the icy air through her teeth. She pressed the back of her palm to her forehead. When she remove it, she saw something dark glistening on her skin. She grimaced.

Apollo had to hold in his jubilation. Artemis' spell had worked! Their wands suddenly manifested from behind a tree and flew to their open hands. One hit her in the back of the head, but that was easily overlooked due to the fact that _they had their wands!_ Mad-Eye grinned broadly as his wand drifted into his hand and suddenly turned into his walking stick. A wide, open-mouthed smile smeared Apollo's lips as his wand slammed into his flesh. It sent a surge of electricity through him. Tonks' lackluster eyes suddenly glistened with hope and happiness; her hair turned a fiery shade of orange as she prepared for battle. Kingsley's lips became a gleeful rictus as he received his wand. The Order turned to each other and nodded. Carefully, they pointed their wands to their shackles of twine. In perfect unison, a scarlet light suddenly appeared from the ends of their wands and proceeded to burn the ropes. The Order jumped to the ground, rubbing their wrists. Apollo, who was still hanging, stared at the group with yearning eyes.

"What about _me?_" he hissed.

Mad-Eye rolled his good eye. He hit his walking stick against the ground, and the ropes that held Apollo blazed to ashes and dropped him. He hit the ground with a _hmph!_ and quickly stood back up, tightly grasping his wand. He jogged to the group eagerly. "What's the plan?" he asked.

All eyes turned to Mad-Eye. "Against the wall!" he wheezed. "And hide your wands in you sleeves!"

"Why?" Artemis asked.

"Because we don't want them to see us free, do we?"

Artemis curled her lip. "Why can't we get Lupin _now?"_

As if in cruel reply, Greyback held up his hands. The Order and the twins quickly rushed to the rock, tucking their wands into their sleeves and pressing themselves against it's jagged and cold surface. The pack quieted and began swaying, humming loudly. Greyback began to speak, the flickers of the torches illuminating his foul face: "My children! For too long we have waited for justice! For too long we have waited for power! We were thrown from society like useless rags! As a result, we have lived like _animals_! We are a higher species! We are powerful witches and wizards, as well as cunning beasts of fang and claw! But tonight, we shall _regain_ our lost thrones! We shall drink from the cup of red ambrosia and become _immortal! _We shall feast upon the flesh of the unworthy and awake our master! Tonight, _WE SHALL BE ALL POWERFUL!_"

The pack roared with dark jubilation, rewarding their leader with this vocal promise of undying loyalty. Artemis scowled, her face darkening. She could feel the moon's power pulsing through her. Her veins popped out from her arms. Sweat dripped down her face, even though it was below freezing. She knew, deep down, that any minute now she would be springing into action. Her muscles tightened, awaiting for the right moment to move.

Greyback raised his dagger above his head, positioning it right aloft Lupin's beating heart. The pack began to chant some incomprehensible words. They were eagerly waiting for their chief to plunge the obsidian point into the traitor's flesh.

"O, Lord Lycaon!" he continued, "Most noble of all gods! I summon thee to the mortal realm to grant us, your pitiful servants, the permission to storm the earth and claim it as our own!" The pack's chanting became louder, growing steadily in depth. "With this dagger of Night, I spill the blood of our sacrifice! Let his gore fill you with strength and mercy!" He lifted the dagger even higher. "Lycaon, _I SUMMON THEE!_"

"_EXPELLIARUMUS!_"

Artemis and Apollo's bellows were louder than the pack's chanting. They lept from their spots on the rock and directed their wands at Greyback. The combined effect was more powerful than they could have hoped for. Apollo suddenly realized with a happy jolt that he felt something burning in his veins. Power. Magic. It was coming to him like it was coming to Artemis. The right corner of his mouth became upturned. He watched Greyback's eyes follow the banished weapon in disbelief. The dagger flew out of his hands, flailing through the air and falling limply on the ground. It's wicked glimmer ceased. All eyes turned to the twins. A surprised air clung to every werewolf there. McGorgo stepped forward, his black wand clutched in his hand. Greyback grimaced, his pointed teeth sticking out to form a malicious snarl. A growl rumbled from deep within his throat.

"How the hell did _you_ get free?" he asked, not kindly.

At this point, the entire pack had drawn their wands and pointed them at the twins and the Order. The Order fell from their places and drew their wands. The stood at the back of the twins, pointing their wands in different directions.

"You forget," Artemis replied, a confident mixture of a sneer and a smile on her lips. "We're the Children of the Sun and the Moon."

Greyback was shaking with anger. His face had turned beet red. He shot a quivering finger to the group. "You shall not survive!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "_Kill them!_"

The pack lept into action, running towards the group with wands unsheathed. Suddenly, spells and curses began flying towards them at every corner. Roars of rage echoed in their ears. The battle had begun.


	23. Flight of the Changelings

* * *

Sorry this took so long. School started just as I began these chapters, so I had literally had no time to write. Enjoy, and sorry for the wait!

* * *

**Flight of the Changelings**

All hell broke loose.

The Order jumped into action. Mad-Eye threw himself at the pack, casting curses left and right, shielding himself more than once against the Killing Curse. A few werewolves toppled over each other to get to him. Many of them were hit by Mad-Eye's spells and curses. With angry screams, they fell face-first on the ground, either twitching or laying still. Kingsley was more collected as he fought. As werewolves lunged for him, he would send to them a bolt of red light the twins identified as _Stupefy_. Many of his attackers were thrown back into the air before falling back to earth many yards away. A few lycanthropes chose to fight like the beasts they were. Their claws grew to extraordinary lengths, and their eyes become a wicked shade of yellow. They quickly lumbered over to the Order and the Warwicks, thick drool flowing freely from their hungry mouths. Tonks, who had been fighting Morganna, turned to face these lupine behemoths after leaving the red-haired werewolf lying on her back with foam bubbling up from her mouth. Directing her wand towards the fast-approaching wolves, she dug her heels into the ground. Her lip curled.

"_DIFFINDO!" _she bellowed.

There was a flash of light. The Warwicks covered their eyes as a loud _BANG _erupted in their ears. When they creaked them open, they saw that the traditional warriors had been hurled back a hundred feet. There was also a small, smoking crater stuck in the ground.

The moon was almost fully risen. She watched sadly at the battle going on below her. So much suffering. . .so much anger. . .so much _pain._ Her despair-filled silvery eyes rested upon the two children stuck in the midst of the fighting. With a slight smile, she gazed at them as they shot spells at fast-approaching werewolves, knocking them down with powerful, magical blows. The moon admired their spirit and courage. To help them, she sent her ghostly and celestial waves to their veins. The boy, she knew, should not be receiving her sacred power. Her Brother would be awfully angry if he found out. Nevertheless, she knew she had to help the two children. If she didn't, they would surely perish. Besides, she was quite fond of them.

Artemis and Apollo were nearly quivering with power. As the terrible lycanthropes charged at them with gaping mouths and bared semi-fangs, the twins nonchalantly cast spells way beyond their years.

"_Fernunculus!"_

"_Impedimenta!"_

"_Incendio!"_

"_Levicorpus!"_

The small blond witch Evanna ran towards Artemis with her wand pointing at the girl's heart. Artemis knew she was going to cast the most Unforgivable of all of those dreadful curses. Narrowing her eyes at her, she roared, "_Conjunctivitis!_"

A terrible scream came from Evanna's lips as an ugly crust began growing over eyes. She stopped, tripped over a root and fell on her wand. The precious stick of oak snapped in half, as well as Evanna's sanity. She tore at her hair, shrieking and clawing at her eyes. A sneer formed on Artemis' cold lips. She looked towards Apollo, who was shooting _Bombarda_ at all of the approaching werewolves. They were flung into the frigid night air like dolls, sparks flying with the smoke that accompanied them. He looked so confident and brave. She smirked at his bravado and turned back to the mad phalanx.

A short gray-haired werewolf came rushing up to her. His eyes were ice-blue, his teeth surprisingly white. He snarled as he approached, a clawed hand raised and ready to strike. Artemis glowered at him as he came forward.

"Come and _get me!_" she challenged him, wand raised high. Her eyes burned in her skull, ready to burst her foe into flames. He roared and lunged.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_"

The werewolf froze and dropped to the ground like a stone. Artemis looked around. The werewolves kept coming. They streamed from nowhere, an onslaught of fury and hunger. There were too many of them. A werewolf suddenly appeared, jumping at her with fangs bared. She swiped him away ("_Stupify!_") and took a quick glance around at her comrades. Kingsley had entered a fistfight with Sebastian, who appeared to think he was a tough monster. Mad-Eye had a pile of unconscious (or otherwise) werewolves stacked a few yards away, and continued to add to the limp mass of unmoving bodies. Apollo was using _Diffindo_ on every being that came near him. Tonks was. . ._missing._ Artemis realized this with a jolt of panic. Her eyes widened. She quickly froze an upcoming werewolf, then turned to Apollo.

"Apollo!" she cried, not taking her eyes off of the lupine army. "Tonks is gone!" A female lycanthrope rushed up with her wand unsheathed, screaming Greyback's name. Artemis pointed her wand at the woman and mentally cast _Sectumsempra._ Immediately, the woman collapsed to the ground, shrieking as bleeding cuts slicing across her pale flesh. "Tonks is gone!" she added to her shout aimed towards her brother.

Apollo quickly blew one man away with his chosen spell and spun his head to Artemis. "What?!" he exclaimed. His eyes moved to her spot, but she wasn't there. His heart skipped a beat. As he cast his spell on two running werewolves, a thought hit him. This never-ending barrage of werewolves. . .was a _distraction._ Greyback was still planning on performing the ritual. Tonks must have figured this out and Apparated to the stone circle. He cursed fluently.

"She went to get Lupin!" he shouted over the cacophony of howls and screams. All of the color in his sister's face drained. A werewolf took her stillness as a chance to creep up on her, a switchblade grasped in his bony hand. Apollo glowered at him. With great celerity, he pointed his wand at him and screamed, "_Aguamenti!_"

The powerful stream of water blasted the werewolf away, a final yelp escaping his cracked lips. Apollo rushed up to grab Artemis. "C'mon! Fer all we know, Tonks is dead and Greyback has, well, _done it._" His sister nodded.

"Wait, though," she said. She lifted her wand and her free hand above her head, bending them ever so slightly. Her eyes narrowed; the fighting around them seemed to slow. Veins popped from her neck. She took a deep breath. "_PROTEGO MAXIMA!_" she bellowed. All at once, the werewolves speeding towards the Order stopped dead in their tracks, as if they had run into a stone wall. They groaned as they fell to the ground, rubbing their faces. The Order frowned, confused. Kingsley dropped his wand.

"Why did you cast this?" he asked, eyes watching the werewolves as they began to claw at the invisible shield.

"This is a powerful enough charm that won't allow the werewolves to get through, but you can still shoot at them!" Artemis explained hastily. "Now can you Apparate us to the stone circle?"

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Apollo snapped, anger bubbling inside of him. His knuckles that clasped his wand turned white. Kingsley looked quite startled by Apollo's fiery demand, but he nodded. He motioned Artemis over to them, grasped their shoulders, then reluctantly shouted, "_Apparate!_"

The twins were thrust through space and time only to appear ten yards away from their original spots. They stumbled onto the leafy ground, the sounds around them muffled, the colors swirled. A loud _crack_ told them that Kingsley left them and returned to Mad-Eye. Gathering their senses before something happened, they snapped straight up. In front of them fought Tonks, McGorgo, and Greyback. On the ground, still but breathing, was Sebastian. He lay face-down next to the stone table where Lupin was. His stomach was cut open, possibly by a comrade's stray claw, and his entrails were slyly poking out from under his body. A puddle of blood formed around him, snaking around every angle. Why he was there, the twins were not sure. It looked as though he had had his stomach sliced before he collapsed there, and he dragged himself to Greyback for a final blessing. The twins chose not to look. They instead turned towards Lupin. Lupin still peacefully lay on the table, his face pallid. The twins quickly turned away from him, sick at the sight. However, it made them angrier. Fire pulsed through their veins. They felt their cheeks burning. Apollo decided this was a good sign.

"_Greyback!_" he roared harshly. His lips curled. Artemis glared fiercely at the foes as they spun around to see the two children pointing their wands at them. Tonks rushed to their sides, her hair standing furiously on end. The tips blazed a deep red. Artemis didn't think she'd ever seen Tonks look so hateful.

Greyback flicked his wand towards his enemies. McGorgo followed like a slobbering puppy. "_You_," he hissed, eyes narrowing. "Why aren't you _dead_?"

"Why aren't _you_?" Artemis retorted.

McGorgo stepped forward, pointing his wand directly at her heart. Greyback nudged him aside. "No, McGorgo," he ordered. "It is _my_ destiny to kill them."

The Deputy scowled and directed his wand away.

Greyback looked towards his opposers. "So, Warwicks," he sneered, "I want you to know that I will slit your precious guardian's chest, remove his heart, and spill his blood onto the ground. I will then cut you down and empty your _pathetic _bodies of blood."

Unshaken, Artemis growled, "Give us Lupin."

"_Now_," Apollo demanded.

Greyback shook his head. "I'm afraid that's quite out of the question," he replied with an edge in his voice. His eyes darted towards the sky. "See, the moon is almost in place. One more move, and I'll have killed Remus. We will transform, and you will die."

Suddenly, a thought struck Apollo. It was almost like a mental slap, it hit him so hard. He remembered the dream he had shared with Artemis. He recalled their shadows, how they looked like wolves. . . .He held his breath. He understood. He longed to tell Artemis, but now was not the time.

"We won't let you," Tonks sneered bravely, raising her wand.

Greyback chuckled cruelly. "You can try to stop us. However, you will _fail._"

In the blink of an eye, he grasped the obsidian dagger once more, and swept himself over to the stone table. Tonks' eyes widened. "No!" she screamed. But it was no use. Greyback was already slicing the air downwards, towards Lupin's lightly rising and falling chest. Apollo held his breath, lunging forward.

"_NO!_" Artemis shrieked, but there was something strange about her voice. That is, if it could be considered her voice. It was deep and gutteral, very lupine, and caused Greyback to stop abruptly and stare at her with wide and slightly scared eyes. He dropped the knife with a _clang_. McGorgo rushed to his side, grasping his arm.

"Sire?"

Apollo stared at his sister. She looked different. Her features had sharpened. Something about her seemed bigger. He noticed she was shivering. She clutched her eyes shut as if in pain. She drew her breaths in sharply and quickly. Through her slightly open mouth, he could see her teeth. With a jolt, he realized they were pointed like fangs. She grit her teeth.

Suddenly, a pain struck Apollo. He gasped as the invisible spirit possessed his body and soul. The blood pounded in his stinging ears. His face grew hot. A growl grew in his throat, building up before it was released in a near roar. A stabbing throb echoed down his spin. It felt as if it was being twisted. He could feel something _changing _him. He began whimpering. He had never felt such agony before. He opened his feverish eyes and looked towards Greyback. The leader was petrified, a look of pure horror on his grizzled face. Apollo smirked, savoring Greyback's terror. As another ache shot through his body, he knew he had to bear it. Greyback's face made it all worthwhile. McGorgo once more looked nervously towards his master.

"Sire?"

Before Greyback could reply, a great force shook the ground. The entire pack, the Order, the twins, Greyback, and McGorgo crumpled to the ground. Artemis was shoved next to Tonks, landing on her shoulder. Apollo fell near Sebastian. The now-dead boy's body was vibrating. The ground quaked and quivered. It felt as though an earthquake had struck the English countryside. Apollo looked at Sebastian. His eyes widened. The blood around the boy was being sucked up by the earth. Almost immediately, the ground began to undulate, small hills forming. A mound of dirt burst up from the ground underneath McGorgo. He was sent flying, clawing pathetically at the air before he landed in a crumpled heap five yards away. Artemis opened her sore eyes and gazed upward. The full moon hung in her place, readying herself for the violence that was about to begin.

"It's happening. . ." Greyback breathed. "Lycaon is coming. . .but how?"

A vociferous scream tore through the air like a wolf's fang through flesh. Tonks and the twins spun their heads towards the source. Their eyes widened in sheer horror.

The entire pack was morphing.

Even Lupin.

The great wizard had escaped from his unconscious prison only to become trapped in his wolfish body. He writhed underneath his straps, snarling as his bones cracked and his skin stretched. Greyback and McGorgo were squirming on the ground as fur sprouted from their bodies and their clothes ripped. A deep, malicious, rumble shook the earth. The night was filled anguish-laded caterwauls. Much to the fright of the twins, the earth in front of the exploded, pelting stones and dirt at the beings around them----

----and from the blast rose a giant shadow.

It shot almost sixty feet into the air, spreading it's terrible black claws outwards over the pack. The twins and the Order stared up in awe. Even the darkness of the night, the inky-black shape stood out like a wine stain on a white shirt. The chthonic shade had a lupine form, the twins noticed, but also human-like. It had pointed ears, a long snout, even a somewhat bushy tail. It's eyes, however, were the most horrible trait of the entire apparition. They were blood-red, and glimmered with pure evil and the fires of Hades. A thousand damned souls stared hungrily at the living through these eyes, longing to suck the life out of the animated so they may once more walk the earth. Tens of thousands of years of growing hatred, treachery, hunger, and wickedness were reflected in these eyes.

Tonks jumped up. She had fear in her eyes, but tried to hide it. She pointed her wand at the being.

"_St-stupefy!_" she screeched.

"Tonks, _no!_" Artemis yelled, reaching towards her.

It was no use. The spell bounced off of the being as if it was made out of rubber and hit Tonks squarely in the chest. The witch was thrown backwards fifty yards, hitting a tree and buckling to the ground. Artemis and Apollo shouted her name. They struggled to get up, but another quake knocked them down. They squinted their eyes, trying to save them from falling detritus, trying to get a glimpse of Tonks. An arrow of worry and guilt struck their hearts. It filled them with the poison of anger and vengeance. . . .

All of the sudden, a great pang shocked the twins. They cried out, curling up into balls. They clutched their quivering bodies tight. The pain was like nothing the twins had ever experienced. It was agonizing, numbing, and seemed to eat them from the inside out. Every inch of their bodies screamed in eternal suffering. They felt their bones snap. Their spines twisted and contorted themselves to bizarre forms. Their skin tingled like hellfire as something erupted from them. Their mouths thrust forward to form snouts. Fangs sprouted from their existing teeth. Their muscles ripped; their eyes sallowed. Something burst from their bottoms. Their fingernails elongated. Their eyes were forced open by some savage being and became bloodshot; they could feel their eyes pounding as their pupils expanded, then narrowed into black slits. The sinew that lay underneath their epidermis pulsated and stretched. The gutteral roar of the shadowy being echoed in their now-pointed ears. Apollo and Artemis were on fire. It consumed them, melted their flesh off their bones, drove them mad. Yet, at the same time, it mended them. The stock and carnage of their old bodies was replaced by new skin and substance. Their torn souls were replaced by new spirits. It was a phoenix effect. They had died, but were reborn from their ashes. From the dusty cinders arose two fresh lycanthropes, fully transformed, howling at the moon.


	24. Siblings of Kismet

**Siblings of Kismet**

Kingsley had never seen such events. First, the whole of the pack had transformed at the exact same time, including Lupin. Second, a mild earthquake seemed to hit the area. Third, a huge black wolf had risen from the ground. Last, the Warwicks had transformed into werewolves. Kingsley was awestruck as he watched the twins morph into the beasts. Apollo's creature was a fiery-blond color, with sleek silky fur and eyes of the purest gold. Artemis' wolf was jet black, with rough fur and bright silver eyes. Both twins were quite tall. At first he thought that they had been werewolves for a long time, and just chose not to tell anyone. But then he thought of something. The prophecy had told them that the Warwicks would change. Originally, he had thought, _Okay, so they'll mature._ However, the more he thought about it, the more he uncovered the truth. When the oracle foretold the twins changing, he realized, it meant that they would mutate into werewolves. With a jolt of hope, he also came to understand that they still had a fighting chance. They could win.

"Mad-Eye!" he yelled over the roar of the gigantic shadow-wolf. "The twins! They can still beat Lycaon!"

Mad-Eye, who had been cursing fluently and indifferently the entire time, replied, "'Course they can! They're not dead!"

Frowning, Kingsley asked, "What should we do?"

Mad-Eye turned his eyes towards the Warwick wolves, electric-blue eye zooming in like a camera lens. He watched as they looked at Lycaon, bared their fangs, and roared. He revolved back to Kingsley. The black wizard's brow was furrowed in deep concern. Mad-Eye stared at him.

"Nothing," he said flatly. "This is their battle."

With Artemis' protective barrier around them, they had nothing to fear from the werewolves swarming around them. All they could do was watch with anticipation and confidence stored heavily in their hearts.

Apollo and Artemis narrowed their lupine eyes at Lycaon. The gargantuan wolf glared down at them, it's fiery eyes burning small holes in the ground. The twins circled the god, fangs bared and claws unsheathed. Their fur bristled. Lycaon's giant head followed their every move. It was as if he knew these were the two children who would defeat him. There was an indescribable hatred blazing in his already red eyes. A deep rumble came from his throat, shaking the ground. With great celerity, he swiped his claws at the twins. Growling, they ducked, either rolling onto the ground or leaping out of the way. The Warwicks began barking at Lycaon angrily.

"They're edging him on," Kingsley observed quietly.

All of the sudden, Apollo hurdled himself into the frigid air, mouth gaping and ready to bite. He chomped onto Lycaon's arm, tearing the flesh with ravenous snarls. The wolf god bellowed in pain, and was about to swipe him away when Artemis leaped into the air and grabbed hold of Lycaon's other arm. He screamed in pain. A black, tar-like substance spilled from the wounds and onto the ground. It splattered onto the werewolves gathered below, steaming and hissing. They yelped and ran away like cowardly dogs. The wicked god began snapping ferociously at the twins. His putrid saliva flew in all directions as his fangs physically lusted for the flesh of his enemies. Finally, he grabbed hold of Artemis's scruff. She yelped, letting go of his arm. Kingsley held his breath; she was dangling from Lycaon's mouth. She writhed in his grasp, but it was no use. Lycaon had a firm hold on her. She began clawing at his nearest patch of flesh----jaw. As she scraped at his lower jaw like a captured kitten, Apollo let go of the beast's arm, but continued to hang on with his arms. Lycaon spun his head towards the wolf-boy and growled. His seraphic eyes glimmered. Apollo barked at the god, then hauled himself onto his arm and _began climbing it. _Kingsley's eyes popped out of his head. Mad-Eye jumped. They watched as Apollo scaled the god's arm to his shoulder, crawling steadily to the god's throat. In a furious response, Lycaon roared, dropping Artemis to the ground. She landed with a heavy _thump_, a yelp escaping her snout.

"Artemis!" Kingsley shouted.

The wolf-girl shook herself out, then weakly stood back up. Fury blazing in her eyes, she turned back to Lycaon and roared. Lycaon's eyes narrowed. He too roared, though it was much more menacing. It began as a deep rumble in his throat, then erupted from his mouth like fire from a volcano. It shook every ounce of Kingsley and Mad-Eye's beings. Everything inside of them quailed. They fell to the ground, clutching their ears. The sound was not drown out. Yet, somehow, they could hear _words_ within the tremendous sound.

_These are the beings the mortals send to defend them?_ the voice seemed to sneer. _Ha! Never have I seen such lowly, loathsome insects! Not even in my own realm! _It chuckled. _This battle shall not last long._

Mad-Eye's electric-blue eye shot over to Kingsley's wide ones. They were filled with a sort of cool terror----you could tell the fear was there, but it was cleverly hidden behind a nearly opaque veil of calm.

"Did you. . ._hear that?_" Kingsley asked, horrified but trying to stay collected.

"Aye," Moody replied. "That was demonic, it was."

He said nothing more.

The two returned their trembling gazes to the battle between the immortals. Apollo was hanging tightly onto the wolf-god's skin like a tick, the black blood spilling over the cub. To Kingsley's surprise, the boy did not burn. The existence of the prophecy seemed to have formed a protective coating around him.

It was as if the divine bodies of the universe----be them ethereal or physical----wanted the twins to win.

Lycaon was shrieking, grabbing at the evading wolf with his morbid claws. He finally yanked off the young wolf and flung him to the ground. Apollo flailed through the air like a rag doll. He hit the earth with a yelp, actually bouncing off of the terrain. He lay in the dirt, quivering. The wizards held their breaths. Would he stay down? Would he get back up?

Lucklily, what occurred was the latter. The poor youthful werewolf tremulously returned to his feet, one of his arms bent at an awkward angle. However, he showed no pain in his gait. Just horrifying, chthonic _fury._ The temper of Ares flared in his eyes. His teeth dripped with venom. Fiery anger consumed him. Some vengeful deity decided that loathsome anger is better shared, as Artemis came to her brother's side and began to show signs of a similar hatred. Their eyes narrowed in on Lycaon like a sniper's laser. Blood thirst was in their deep growls.

The macabre spawn of Cerberus merely laughed, or, what seemed like a laugh. An abhorrent sound emitted from his throat. It was near indescribable----like that of jubilant triumph, but mixed with the cackles of demonic entities and the decaying screams of the damned. At that very moment, one innocent soul was condemned to an eternity of unjust and undeserved torture. A child of the whimsical light was suddenly turned to the lachrymose dark. A feeling of dread befell the population of the surrounding lands like a sudden storm.

Lycaon seemed not stirred by the actions of the twins. He very much looked like he was _entertained_ by them! Nonetheless, entertainment was no reason to end a battle. The beast lunged forward, the opaque shadows of his body shooting towards the twins. They formed into little clawed hands, scratching about the area, searching for the two defiant young wolves. His snout snapped at Apollo and Artemis, almost longing for a taste of their rebellious flesh.

With quick barks, the two leaped into the air, diverging. The hands followed them, snatching at their trails, yearning for their warmth in their cold, dead grasps. Apollo darted behind Lycaon, bounding playfully into the air, as if mocking their efforts. Artemis ran in a zig-zag formation in front of the wicked god, dancing too-and-fro in a warrior's arabesque. The wolf god roared in fury, his shadow hands speeding up in their pursuit. But their celerity was no match for the twins' pure, energetic will to defeat Lycaon, which fueled their movements. They were two lupine sprites, airy and fey, skipping about as if nothing was the matter.

Kingsley watched them with amusement glittering in his eyes. Hopefulness and bemusement swept over him. He chuckled at the twins, softly chortling at Lycaon's frustration. He nudged Mad-Eye's arm and pointed to Apollo, who had succeded in tying the god up with his own shadow hands. Mad-Eye grunted indifferently. The interested wizard frowned and furrowed his brow. He opened his mouth to speak, but his wizened companion beat him to it.

"Watch."

Kingsley's eyes darted to Lycaon. The dark god tensed his ethereal body up, then released. The hundreds of little hands exploded into the air, more numerous than before. They immediately lunged for Apollo and Artemis, but with much more speed than before. In the blink of an eye, the hands had encompassed around each twin, trapping them within two desperate black, spherical shroud. Lycaon chuckled darkly, leaning forward. The spheres were lifted by the arms. Lycaon stood back up, the little arms joining into the flesh of his own. The spheres became Lycaon's hands. The twins were revealed, struggling to break free from his fiery cold grasp.

_You have failed_, he growled, a terrible sneer forming on his mouth. _You have failed your world. Every one shall perish. And you will meet your doom._

Kinglsey and Mad-Eye were sweating cold. They rushed to the edge of the protective barrier, palms pressed against the tingling blue magic. "No!" they shouted, eyed wide.

"Warwicks!" Mad-Eye yelled madly. "Fight it! Break free!"

The twins' ear perked towards their direction. They turned to their comrades with sad eyes. A deep melancholy was reflected within their depths, partnered with failure. A pang of shock struck Kinglsey and Mad-Eye. All was done. All was over.

The twins looked back towards their fate. Lycaon moved his jaw around, then, to the horror of the encased spectators, unhinged them from their locks. The god suddenly harbored the appearance of a snake, his jaws ever widening to reveal the twins' demise.

The werewolves in the god's claws gazed at the mouth of the wolf-snake. It glowed with a hellish blaze. Flames licked the sides of it. Shrieks of agony were heard from within the depths.

And the twins were gliding towards it.

They continued to struggle, but deep down they knew they were done for. Their wild, wolfish nature succumbed to the folly of human bravery, and the consequences that follow. Their red, fiery grave was coming ever closer. They hung their heads. Good-bye, friends. . . .Good-bye, world. . . .Good-bye, Lupin. . . .

_No._

Artemis looked up with her eyes, glaring into space. Her silver eyes kindled into fire. Her midnight fur bristled angrily. A snarl painted itself upon her face. _This is not over. _

Apollo threw his head up, and, with the madness of a detached, deranged forest hermit, began barking wildly. His sun-filled eyes, before dulled, suddenly sparked up again in a brilliant display of power regained. Lycaon did not stir from his action. The twins were closer to his fatal pit now.

But they were further from failure.

The human will is a powerful thing. It causes people to commit daring deeds, makes them bold and confused, and plants the seed of challenge. Nothing on earth can stop a person with the will to accomplish something. It empowers them with superhuman abilities, for good or for worse. It saves, it kills, it helps, it burns, it builds, it destroys, it loves, it hates. . .

With the Warwicks' case, mixing their already supernatural properties (werewolf and magical combined) with the power of the human will would prove devastating for Lycaon. The will to defeat him, to save the ones they loved, and to _get out of his choking grasp _filled them up. Something hot shot through their veins. A heavy tingling sensation engulfed their bones. Blue willow-the-wisps suddenly appeared----as if from nowhere----and began gliding around them. Kingsley and Mad-Eye watched in utter amazement. What was happening? Was this good? The twins appeared to be grinning, but how did they know this was a desired reaction?

The answer came during the next ten seconds.

The twins, just a few feet away from being disemboweled, began to grow. Their arms broke Lyaon's terrible hold on them. Their legs shot out to the ground and began to widen. Their hirsute heads expanded, their eyes taking the appearance of grand bonfires. Lycaon's hands exploded into a million little black shadows, which then disintegrated in the air. He screamed.

Apollo and Artemis were towering behemoths above the once-giant god. They stood a good fifty feet above him. They gazed up at the sky. The moon defiantly smiled upon them; they were now capable of taking in the most of her power. The welcoming warmth filled their bodies with indescribable power. They tensed their muscles, allowing the sweet magic to settle in. When the procedure was done, the bellicose twins turned their inferno-like eyes to the pitiful god.

_No_, he gasped. _This cannot be happening. How is this possible!_

Kingsley grinned, remembering what Artemis had said before the entire battle had begun:

"You forget----we're the Children of the Sun and the Moon."

The twins opened their slobbering jaws above the god and roared. Lycaon yelped and, to Mad-Eye and Kingsley's surprise, began to shrink! A deep, ubiquitous, chuckle-like growl emerged from the twin's gargantuan throats. The knelt down and extended their claws toward the god. They grabbed part of his body and, in a most grotesque manner, began tearing Lycaon apart.

The sound that came from Lycaon's mouth as he was dismembered was horrifyingly terrible. Demonic, chthonic, child-like, pitiful. . .the screams echoed for miles and miles. The twins flung the shadowy flesh down into the depths of the crack opened by the wolf-god. The pieces of his body were graciously lapped up by a sudden mountain of flames, which helped consume the god as the twins brought him to his end. Mad-Eye and Kinglsey shuddered, but watched with a morbid fascination. They were disgusted, but intrigued.

Within minutes, it was all finished. The god was dead.

The crack in the ground close as the wall of flames diminished and returned to their subterranean dwellings.

Almost immediately after the immortal's earthly demise, all of the werewolves darting wildly about clearing suddenly stopped and collapsed to the ground. Their lightly heaving bodies informed the Order that they were alive, but unconscious. Artemis's protective barrier around Kingsley and Mad-Eye disintegrated into nothingness. They stepped outside the ring, marveling at their surroundings and what had just happened.

"Look!" Mad-Eye hissed, his blue eye swerving towards the sky.

Kingsley looked up and his eyes widened. The twins shrank back to normal sizes in the blink of an eye. Then, without warning, they fell upon the ground.

The Order ran to them. "They must be unconscious!" Kingsley whispered.

"Let's hope."

They reached the twins, and exhaled in relief. Not only were they alive, but they had shed their furs (which were lying around them in a bed) and regained human form. They looked like they had just fought an entire army. Besides the fact that they were covered in scratches, Apollo's right arm was bent at a forty-five degree angle, obviously broken, and Artemis had some nasty, bloody bite marks around her neck. Kingsley bent down, looming over the twins like a protective mother.

"They'll be fine," Mad-Eye said, noticing his comrade's worried expression. "A few herbs and some sleep should do them some good. They've just been through hell."

Kingsley looked up at him. "But shouldn't we---?"

Mad-Eye peered closely at Artemis's wound. "Make the blood stop bleeding. If you get Lupin, I'll get Tonks."

Kingsley obeyed, casting the spell to stop the bleeding while Mad-Eye retrieved an unconscious Tonks. When he was sure the blood had stopped flowing, he fetched a lupine (and, of course, unconscious) Lupin and laid him next to the twins. When the conscious Order had gathered their party all together, they Apparated back to Lupin's cottage, leaving the sleeping army and the battlefield behind.


	25. Phantasmagoria

Phantasmagoria

A feeling of warmth enveloped the twins. Their minds were filled with moonstruck clouds, swirling around as if in an endless tunnel. Comfort braced their bodies lovingly. Their breaths were relaxed yet shallow. They were finally in peace. Three figures gazed down upon them, waiting for the world's saviors to awaken. They were in a small, cozy shack. The children were placed on the giant sofa, while the older man was in the bed.

"Are you sure they're alright?" asked Tonks, her arm in a sling, nervously wringing her hands,

Mad-Eye turned his grizzled head towards her. "I'm _positive_," he growled. The witch looked back at the twins, the worried look in her eyes not leaving.

"What about Remus?" Kingsley inquired to Mad-Eye. "He wasn't looking too good when we brought him back."

"_Again,_" Mad-Eye snapped. "He, too, is fine! Madame Pomfrey has done everything she could for these three! _They will be okay!"_

Tonks scurried over to Remus's bedside, sitting on a chair beside him. The werewolf's chest rose, slow and shallow, his tired face like a mask. He was pale, his face covered with scratches. One of these marks would eventually become a scar when healed. It went across his cheek like an ugly line of red paint. He had transformed back into his human self at dawn. The Order hoped this would restore his consciousness. It was now midmorning, and he had not yet aroused from his slumber.

In the next room, Artemis and Apollo were all patched up since their battle with Lycaon only hours before. Apollo's arm was in a sling. Artemis had a large bandage wrapped around the back of her neck. They were lying peacefully underneath three thick, woolen blankets.

Kingsley paced nervously back and forth, his hands clutched behind his back in a fretful embrace. "I really don't like how long this is taking," he confessed softly. Mad-Eye glared at him.

"THEY WILL WAKE UP WHEN THEY ARE READY!" he roared, slamming his clenched fist upon a wayworn coffee table. "Why can't you nitwits understand that?"

Tonks looked up from her vigil by Lupin. Kingsley didn't reply to Mad-Eye's shriek of annoyance. He just stopped pacing and gazed down at the ground.

"Kingsley . . ." Tonks began, but her voice trailed off. The wizard wasn't listening. A small moan manifested from a stranger's lips, and the source, as Kingsley found, was Apollo.

"Mad-Eye!" yelled Kingsley, jumping to the sofa's side. Mad-Eye spun around at the twins, his eyes glinting.

The twins were stirring. Their eyes moved wildly behind the lids. Their noses twitched, and soft cooing sounds were heard purring from their throats. Deep breathes rushed in and out of their noses as their chests rose with more effort.

"Ehhh," Artemis moaned, her eyes still shut.

"Tonks!" Kingsley cried, placing his hands on Apollo's shoulder. "They're waking up!"

The witch hesitated, made a quick glance of worry towards her beloved, and glided over to the sofa. "You're sure?"

Mad-Eye nodded. "Aye," he replied. "They're on their way."

Tonks and Kingsley frowned. "From where?" the witch asked.

Mad-Eye just shook his head.

Deep within the depths of the shared mind of the twins, a dark and gloomy prison stood in the center of a morbid tarn. The black waters were smooth as glass, and so beautiful that an unsuspecting soul would go to marvel at it's exquisiteness, then be sucked into a timeless void and devoured by the bottomless pit of water. So terrible was the splendor and beauty of the tarn that all glamorous life had been stolen from it's banks, leaving nothing but withered plants and ugly black weeds.

The prison that stood in the tarn's center was of one single cell. The prison was, in all truthfulness and sincerity, a cage. It was a small iron cell, the bars cold and a tad bit rusty, the floor scarred and moldy. It stood upon a small mound of land, which had been killed an unknown time ago by the magnificent loveliness of the tarn. The cage was tall, the floor covered with bones. Inside this macabre cell were two children. Their curious eyes wandered around, observing their surroundings. They clutched the iron bars loosely, the moribund demeanors of the cage and the tarn becoming clear to them. The Warwicks shivered.

"Where are we?" Artemis asked her brother.

Apollo shook his head. "I dunno."

"Can we get out?"

"We should try."

The twins took out their wands and pointed them towards the nearest wall of bars. A single thought racketed their brains. Taking deep breaths, they yelled. "_Bombarda!"_

A powerful blast erupted from their wands and took hold of the bars. The twins covered their heads as little bits of iron flew upon them. When all was done, they removed their organic and makeshift shields and looked upon the damage. Their spirits fell. The bars, although missing chips in some areas, had not budged. They defiantly stood in front of the twins.

"Damn!" Artemis growled, kicking the bars. "How did that not work?"

Apollo shrugged, examining the bars closely. "I dunno," he said. "They've definitely weakened, but I don't know why they weren't blasted to bits."

"Maybe we should give it another go," Artemis suggested.

"It wouldn't hurt," her brother agreed.

Once more pointing their wands at the decrepit bars, the twins again roared, "_Bombarda!_"

Success manifested itself into a rain of iron chips, crashing over the twins in a fantastic display. They covered their ears and heads as the torrential storm of iron swept over them. The sound echoed throughout the black abyss surrounding them, resonating until finally, it was silenced. The ironfall ceased, and when the twins checked to make sure the spell had worked, they noticed that the bars were no more.

"Ha!" Apollo laughed, marveling at the giant hole in their cage. "It worked!"

"Thank God," Artemis sighed in relief. "Now lets get the bloody hell out of here."

Suddenly, a wave of dread swept over the twins. The tarn glared menacingly at them, a glimmer of victory in its dark waters. Indeed, the tarn was bottomless, so the Drought Charm would be useless. The small body of water was hungry, longing for the sustenance it needed to thrive. The spirit of the tarn knew it had won.

"How're we gonna get across?" Artemis inquired, her silver eyes scanning the shoreline that seemed so far away.

"We don't have brooms," Apollo said, furrowing his brow in an inquisitive manner. "And we don't know any spells to raise stepping stones . . ."

Artemis placed her hands on her hips. Apollo paced around in the cage, his fingers stroking his chin. All of the sudden, an idea struck him. It nearly slapped him in the face. He snapped his fingers.

"I got it!" he declared, a smiling spreading across his lips. "D'you still know that spell you made up?"

Artemis frowned. "Which one? _Incognatius?_ _Propellus?_"

"That last one! _Propellus!_"

"Yeah, I do . . ." Artemis smacked her forehead. "Of course! Why did I not think of that?"

Apollo returned to her side. "S'alright," he said. He looped his arm into the crook of hers. "Shall we?"

His sister smirked. "O' course. Hold on!" She extended her arm behind them and shouted, "_Propellus!_"

At once, the twins were shot forward, their heads snapping back. Apollo whooped. Sparks spewed out of Artemis's wand, fueling their flight. The lackluster shore was getting closer.

"We're nearly there!" Artemis yelled happily.

Without warning, something big and black manifested in front of them. The twins screamed, and drove headfirst into the wall. They smacked their crowns hard, a shock of pain twisting through their bodies and rendering them unconscious. The dark waters of the tarn were there to catch them as they fell limply into the depths. The tarn cradled them, dragging them closer to its bosom, and ultimately their deaths. They twins' limbs, hung, suspended, under the water; few air bubbles escaped from their nostrils. They were at a cold and deathly peace. The tarn's hunger would soon be whetted. It had won.

Apollo's mind was screaming for him to wake up. It stomped. It punched. It shrieked. It tore. Yet, the boy refused to arouse. His mind, out of desperation, resorted to one last reserve.

It projected images of Artemis and Lupin into his brain.

Artemis was laughing, her arm around Apollo's shoulder. Lupin was slightly grinning, an aura of happiness and belonging surrounding him. Their images sent warmth throughout the boy's body. He twitched, jerking ever so slightly. His limbs slowly woke up. In a final triumphant move, Apollo's golden eyes snapped open. They twinkled brightly in the black depths. He waved his arms, able to swim away from the evil spirit of the tarn. He began to swim back, when he remembered Artemis. He swerved around. His sister was being dragged deeper into the oblivion. He'd never reach her in time! He pointed his wand at her.

"_Accio Artemis!"_ he yelled, a cloud of bubbles blanketing his vision. Although the bubbles rendered him blind, Apollo was still able to tell he had his sister by the sudden crash into his arm and the new pressure felt there. She hung limply in his grasp, her limbs floating carelessly in the water. Suddenly, a crash exploded into Apollo's brain; his eyes bulged from his bluish head.

_Air._

Quickly, Apollo pointed his wand towards the bottom of the tarn and mentally screamed, _PROPELLUS!_

Before he knew it, he and Artemis were being shot forward towards salvation. The sparks that whipped out of the wand became wickedly hot bubbles and spouts of steam. They made the twins fly.

Suddenly, the water became . . . _thicker._ Apollo could feel his lungs burning. _No!_ The tarn was becoming tar-like. It refused to give up the life forces it so desperately needed to survive! Apollo could feel his strength fading, the spell wearing off, and the life being sucked out of him. A black tunnel surrounded his vision. _No._

_MAXIMUS PROPELLUS!_

Apollo's brain simultaneously belted out the spell in an orotund, booming voice. Without warning, the sparks turned into a huge tail of fire, shooting the twins through the tarry substance and, finally, into the air and onto the shore. They flopped onto the cold ground, Apollo gasping for air and coughing. The merciful element filled his burning lungs, cooling them significantly. Once his breathing had returned to normal, Apollo turned to his sister. Artemis was laying unnervingly still, her skin pale and waxen. He crawled over to her side.

"Artemis?" he breathed. He shook her shoulder. "Artemis?"

Nothing.

He pointed his wand towards her mouth, his lips quivering. "_Anapneo_," he whispered. A large ball of black, tar-like liquid from Artemis's throat was lifted into the air and set down by her head. At once, air gushed into her lungs. Her eyes opened with a jolt. She gasped for air and jerked up.

"Wha----what happened?" she croaked, rubbing her throat.

"The tarn," Apollo replied softly. "It tried to kill us."

Artemis's eyes drifted to the black tarn. She gulped. "Oh."

"Come on," her brother said, helping her up. "We have to go."

She frowned. "Go? Go where?"

Apollo frowned. "Home."

And with that, the two linked arms and began walking into the oblivion.


	26. Is He or Isn't He?

Is He or Isn't He?

"Ah!" Apollo yelled, jerking up from his confining slumber. Cold sweat rushed down his face.

"Huh?" Artemis gasped loudly, quickly sitting up at the same time as Apollo. Her heart beat at strange rhythmic patters.

Tonks squealed. "Artemis! Apollo! You're alright!" She swept down and hugged them tightly, laughing. The twins looked around. To their relief, they were no longer in a lonesome oblivion where a ravenous tarn lusted for their souls. They were back in Lupin's cabin, lying on the sofa. They were surrounded by the Order, safely tucked under three blankets. Apollo noticed his arm was in a sling. Artemis winced, just discovering the bandage on the back of her neck.

Kingsley and Mad-Eye chuckled with glee. "Welcome back, Warwicks," Kingsley chortled warmly.

"It's good to be back," Apollo replied, grinning. Tonks let them go, pulling up a chair by their sides.

"Ugh," Artemis moaned, rubbing the back of her neck. "I feel like hell."

Mad-Eye smirked. "You've both been _through_ hell," he said. "And Madame Pomfrey gave you some herbs and potions that will make you feel terrible, but you'll heal more quickly."

The eyes in Apollo's head bugged out. "_Madame Pomfrey_ was here?" he asked, amazed.

"O' course," Kingsley replied. "Dumbledore sent her."

"_Dumbledore?"_

"Yes!" Mad-Eye growled, growing annoyed with the twins' questions. "Dumbedore! Your headmaster!"

Artemis frowned, furrowing her brow. "But how'd he know?" she inquired.

Tonks shrugged. "He knows everything, don't he?"

The twins decided that would be the best answer they would receive. Dumbledore was, after all, a very mysterious figure to everyone. His power was no one else's business, they guessed. As long as he used for good, they didn't much care.

"Has Lupin woken up yet?" Apollo asked the Order.

Mad-Eye shook his head. "No," he replied. "We were hoping th----Hey!"

Before he had time to finish, the twins leapt up and rushed over to their guardian's bed. Lupin was paler than usual. In fact, he had a deathly pallor to his complexity. His face, besides being pallid, was covered in scratches, on of them with a future as a scar. The twins stood by his side, gazing down sadly at their former teacher. The Order followed them into Lupin's room. They stopped in the doorway.

"As I was _saying_," Mad-Eye snarled impatiently. "We were hoping that when you two woke up, he would too."

Artemis gulped. She placed her hand on Lupin's. It was cold. Tonks stumbled into the room in what seemed to be a stupor. Her breath quivered. She went to Lupin's other side. Something lachrymose and nascent was hidden behind her eyes.

"Is he?" Apollo asked, though it came out more like a whisper. "Or . . .or isn't he?"

Mad-Eye sighed. He looked to Kingsley. The wizard nodded, turning his sad eyes to the twins. "We think . . ." he began, ". . . that he is."

"Dead?" Artemis asked urgently.

In response, Kingsley nodded.

Tonks's shriek tore through the air like an owl's talon. She collapsed across the bed, covering Lupin's torso with her shaking body. Artemis burst into tears, whimpering. She fell to the floor, kneeling at the bed's side. She buried her face into the covers. Apollo let his tears fall freely and silently. Mad-Eye and Kingsley decided to leave the three to their mourning. They retired to the living room, where they sat and grieved quietly.

Artemis stood up, sniffing her nose. She stared at Lupin. He finally looked peaceful. His face had a silver sheen to it, as if all of the burdens he'd had were lifted away. Her lips quivered. Lupin may have been ragged and weary in life, but in death he was blanketed with serenity. And however pale his face was, there was still a little blush to his white cheeks.

Blush?

Rosy euphoria possessed Artemis as the meaning of the blush kissed her brain. She smiled broadly. Apollo turned to her. "Why the bloody hell're you so damn happy?" he hissed. "This isn't a time----"

"But it is!" Artemis exclaimed happily. Tonks looked up, her eyes red and puffy from weeping.

"Wha'?" she asked lethargically. Artemis swept over to the mourning witch. She brought an impish air with her.

"Tonks!" she laughed. "_Lupin isn't dead!_"

Tonks leapt up. "_What?_" she breathed. Apollo's eyes moved towards the scene in front of them, a teardrop taking its final descent. The Order in the living room jerked their attention towards the room. Hope clouded Tonks's eyes. Artemis grinned. She pointed to his cheeks.

"Look," she said.

Tonks followed her gaze. "They weren't there before . . ."

"But now they are."

The wretched frown on Tonks's lips turned into a broad and beautiful smile. "_Remus._"

Mad-Eye and Kingsley rushed into the room. Tonks carefully shuffled to Lupin's upper body and shook his shoulder. "Remus?" she whispered softly. "Remus?"

Everyone in the room held their breath. Was it true? Would the kind wizard awake? Was he even alive? They braced themselves for a good or bad answer.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of biting their lips, a reply came. It manifested itself into a groan and a shifting of the shoulders. And to everyone's extreme happiness, they came from Lupin.

"_Lupin!_" Artemis exclaimed, throwing her arms around the wizard. Apollo gaped, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. Tonks broke down into tears of joy, casting her upper body upon the bed. Kingsley and Mad-Eye grinned. The younger of the two sighed in relief. Lupin stirred even more.

In a moment in which it seemed all of the souls damned during Lycaon's emergence were saved, Lupin opened his eyes.


End file.
